ID: HR19-855

Presenting author: John-Peter Kools

Presenting author biography:

John-Peter Kools is an international expert on drug use, health and harm reduction. Mr Kools is working as senior drug policy advisor at the Trimbos Institute in The Netherlands. He is involved in supporting drug policy, public health and harm reduction programmes especially in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.

Drug policy in Central Asian countries; Opening windows of opportunities

John-Peter Kools, Ernest Robello, Viktor Mravcik, Heino Stöver, Boguslawa Bukowska

The Central Asian region is in the middle on the Northern heroin route to Russia and Europe. The 5 countries in the region have developed substantial domestic markets for heroin as well as new (online) markets of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). Leading to substantial populations of PWUD, injecting practices and HIV outbreaks. All countries in the region are struggling to develop effective drug responses, but currently the main responses focus on traditional approaches like border control, policing and incarceration.

Since 2015 a consortium of experienced European institutes from Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and Netherlands supports the countries’ work on drug policy, research, prevention, treatment, harm reduction. The programme (called Central Asia Drug Action Programme, CADAP) works with governmental institutes and civil society actors, both in the community and in prisons.

Despite the traditional criminal justice focussed approach, there is a growing understanding in the region witnessed on the need reform and modernize and to explore other approaches. The 2016 UNGASS Declaration has opened up the opportunity to discuss how key elements of the Declaration (e.g. more focus on health and rights, less incarceration, special attention for women and youth) can be applied in countries in Central Asia.

One of the key lessons of the programme is that global UNGASS discussions provide a opportunity for reforms. In particular on specific strategic themes like:

-alternatives to incarceration

-increasing implementation of harm reduction interventions and international healthcare standards

-addressing NPS and development of Early Warning Systems

-addressing the barriers to health care (by the stigmatizing Narcological Register)

The presentation will provide insight and detail on opportunities to move drug policies in a highly complex and challenging environment. And how targeted dialogue and support can facilitate ‘alternative policies’ and can catalyse reforms and modernisations towards more effective and inclusive policies and policies.