ID: HR19-936

Presenting author: Prince Bull-Luseni

Presenting author biography:

Founder Institute for Drug Control and Human Security, youth led civil society organization promoting evidence based advocacy for drug law reform. Representative of West Africa Drug Policy Network.

Evidence-based Drug policy: the road map to decriminalization and sustainable harm reduction

Prince Bull-Luseni

Issue:
Interdiction is Sierra Leone’s major drug control model. Rarely have this approach produced any desired result, rather the production, trafficking and consumption of drugs, particularly marijuana only increases. Furthermore, it continues to fuel human rights violation by law enforcers and increased public health risk. Unfortunately, minor nonviolent drug offenders are often victims, which does not only criminalize users but makes no consideration for harm reduction.
Setting:
Mile 91 northern Sierra Leone is known for marijuana cultivation and consumption and attracts countless number of unannounced heavily armed police and military raids with insignificant changes other than the death of a young man in the case of the most recent.
Key arguments:
Decriminalization and harm reduction can only be a reality if prohibitive drug laws are reformed to reflect human rights and public health simply because society is governed by laws which legitimize our actions.
A civil society coalition was hastily formed and demanded accountability through strategic multi sectoral stakeholders and effective media engagements. A summary cost-benefit analysis of prohibition to feasible evidence based alternatives was presented to policy makers and other stakeholders to better position them for informed policy reform decisions. The parliamentarian of the deceased’s consistency was persuaded to join the campaign
The young man’s death was both an opportunity and evidence of a failed model after ignoring our plea for policy reforms
Drug law review committee is set up with a number of consultations and dialogue meetings held. Legislators and senior former police officers now lead the decriminalization and harm reduction advocacy campaign. Individual expert retention in the committee is challenging.
Successful advocacy will require early identification and exploitation of opportunities of change with sustained effort for change. A voice of thrust and repute must be identified to lead the campaign.