The Angel Declaration 

   People Can Use Narcotics Safely -

The Politics of Drug Use Marginalization  - PASAN  Prisoners with AIDS Support Action Network

Kingston Methadone Advocacy User Group

  Harm reduction service organization employee accountability

When paid employees are informed of a "programmic problem" in the agency they work in (i.e. told about something in the procedures that are causing hardship; or otherwise become conscious of the particulars of some harm) we consider it their responsibility to reasonably do something to look into it, and fix it.  We consider harm reduction workers to be mandated to work to alleviate whatever problems and injustices which are brought to their attention.  If they turn away and ignore concerns that are brought to their attention, and do nothing to improve situations, then we figure their willful omission to be no different than acts of deliberate commission.  Without getting too righteous about it, that is how we look at things – in particular when considering the practice of paid-staff of Methadone distribution services (i.e. Methadone clinics). 

We think methadone clinic workers and harm reduction workers should work ceaselessly to overcome all systemic problems they become aware of.   We think "clinic patients" should be encouraged to raise issues.  If we don't speak out, how else can harm reduction organizations learn about the impact of their policies and practice?   But once patients bring a problem to the attention of paid staff, then it becomes the staff's responsibility to do something. 

 We post this position here because we, the Kingston Methadone Advocate User Group, consider the vast majority of “client” problems at methadone programs to be a result of systemic problems - problems which unfortunately are (all too often) defended by staff.  Some staff may be under-educated regarding the issues they're paid to work on, or under-trained and under-experienced practically, or maybe they just have other priorities that they give emphasis to instead of really doing all they can to work in a harm reduction way for the people whom need the assistance of the service which they're working for.  Far too often, paid staff just get defensive about their agencies, take critical feedback unduly personally, or worse still, they don't really give a shit for how we suffer due to their agency's policies negatively impact upon us.  As service users we readily recognize well-meaning employees, and we know that improvement in services is a process that takes some time to implement.  However, when there's callous disregard for our concerns and an unwillingness to creatively engage to solve problems, and deliberate disregard for the real needs of people coming to clinics, then that is something we have every right to be very pissed off about.  We know that the most serious consequence of inappropriate staff performance to be the harm caused to the patients attending, or considering attending, or dismissed, from the services of Methadone distribution services.  When agency problems keep people from the programs they need, then it is totally unacceptable when staff do not quickly act to make programmic improvements.

 If harm is merely (and absurdly) defined as "causing the death of" then it is easy for agencies to self-righteously defend their policies by saying,  "we have caused no harm" when problems are brought to their attention.  They might do the old "blame the victim"-style of justifying the shortcomings of agency problems which haven't been addressed and are causing problems for clients.  They might feel all self-righteous doing so, particularly when so-called "problem clients" are alive and showing up everyday - "how could we be harming you, afterall we provide you methadone every day?"  However, it is absurd to claim a clinic does no harm unless it kills someone.   So, harm clearly must be defined more thoroughly and comprehensively that "causing the death of" - and workers must welcome clients informing them of harms they perceive.  It is totally wrong when clients aren't listened to by staff, and staff is smugly dismissive of their being called to accountability. 

We think it is reasonable for clients to be outraged regarding problems that can be traced to clinic's policies and procedures.  Clearly clinics must be called to responsibility - and those employees who do things wrong must be gone.  Whether their wrongs are by ommission or comission. Jobs are not permanent elite positions, they are responsibilities!  Workers should be encouraged to welcome being held accountable for their jobs, and should welcome the opportunities for improving their services which client feedback provides them.  Because if they don't listen to their clients, what sort of harm reduction can they legitimately claim to be practicing?

We support a comprehensive, inclusive definition of harm when considering the real life experiences and needs of people who bring themselves to the door of Methadone clinics and ask for service.  We will recognize, identify, understand, and address what harm may have been caused, and is being caused, by the practices of Methadone distribution services.  We hope you will join us in calling for accountability.  Such is our wish - such is our struggle.   Never underestimate the power of your voice - there is power in raising voices in unity with one another.  We will try to bring together our voice to speak for our needs.

We know who really understands the needs of drug users.  Sometimes we're thinking about the drugs we need, other times we're thinking about the problems we face, and other times we are wanting to jump in and do things differently so we can solve some problem we can readily see a solution for.  We understand the power dynamic we too often face as "clients".  And we know that until there are listening/hearing ears and a strong/feeling heart at agencies we encounter are open to our voices, we face more problems.  We see more deaths and more wasted lives.  We are not unreasonable when we bring forward problems.  Nor is it unreasonable to expect agency's to consider as priorities the problems which clients appraise them of.  The health of a system's feedback loop is the health of the entity.  We are the feedback loop and the entity and we expect service users and service workers to understand that and work together.  "Us and them" has no place in real harm reduction.  Thus, as we understand of them, we will oppose all outmolded perspectives.  And if we must struggle in the process, then struggle we will. 

 It goes without saying that service providers be skilled in addressing and working with the consumers of the services they are paid to provide.  The services are there for the consumers and any barriers to meeting the real needs of drug users are to be consciously removed.   If consumers are lacking in any way access to services - emphasis on IN ANY WAY - due to the actions or inactions of staff, then that is a super-serious issue.  We welcome all help in addressing problems.  Whether we can help by helping people advocate for their needs, or whether we can unite together to speak up in a group way, the Kingston Methadone Advocate Users Group, hope to be of service, in cooperation and consensus with others, in helping to transform barriers into always open doors …

More Ideas...

UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations Program  - exploring the link between criminal networks and national economies, saying that drug trafficking -- and the money laundering that goes with it -- is directly tied to a range of other criminal activities and can no longer be ignored.

Globalization, Drugs, and Criminalization

The project's main conclusion is that drug trafficking - and the money-laundering that goes with it - is directly tied to a whole range of other criminal activities and that the general growth of these activities over the past 20 years stems largely from the greater opportunities that financial deregulation and globalisation provide. Some of the studies are revealing about the use of offshore banks, which are termed "legal illegality." The important and harmful role of tax havens is clearly shown, especially the murky handling of the money of the very rich.

Before it ends up in banks, drug money can travel different routes - through the coffee trade, for example, the film industry or trade in gold or precious stones - depending on the country. This link between criminal networks and national economies can no longer be ignored, either at national or international level, by the authorities in charge of working out how best to fight drug trafficking. And other studies like the present one are clearly needed.

Meeting with drug dealers, consumers, judges, police, lawyers and government officials, a team of drug experts and investigators in various parts of the world, produced a study (1996) - with support from the U.N. Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, began the Globalization, Drugs and Criminalization.  The study shows that drug trafficking has become an enormous industry during the past 20 years, the report says, largely because of the greater opportunities provided by financial deregulation and globalization. In addition, drug lords in many areas now enjoy impunity because of their skill in neutralizing or undermining the work of police through systematic corruption and, in some cases, by infiltrating government forces.  

The report adds that even if drug trafficking may represent only a small percentage of total economic activity in a given country, the money laundered from the drug trafficking profits can affect its financial stability, which contributes to an artificial prosperity prior to a financial crisis, such as in Mexico, Thailand and Japan during the 1990s. The report affirms the permeability between different economies, focusing on the "gray economy" -- or the sector that lies between legal and clandestine activities, such as the "black" economy. Before drug money ends up in banks, it says, it can travel various legal routes, such as the coffee trade, the film industry or trade in gold or precious stones.

Drug Users are people... criminals by decree and poverty

Human Rights for Drug Users

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  GEOPIUM

Drugs production and consumption have always existed everywhere, with a few rare exceptions. If the history of drugs has always been part of that of humanity, then the psychoactive substance's entrance into modernity has deeply transformed the nature of the drug phenomenon world-wide.
From a geographical standpoint, the distribution of the major areas of production and consumption of illicit drugs reveals a North-South division. Indeed, developing countries seem to be the most engaged in their production, and even more so in it their exportation.
The study of drug-related economic structures enables us to identify some of the causes and consequences of such a resort, by the Southern populations or states, to the economy of illicit drugs. To a great extent, economic underdevelopment seems to be the main motivator for the recourse to the drug economy. But the drug trade reveals itself as a consequence of, as well as a cause to, a politico-territorial problematic which relates increasingly to the upgrowth of drug trafficking, especially since the beginning of the 1990's.
Consequently, economic development / under-development, of course, but also and most importantly, the territory -shaped as it is between individuals, communities and states - seem eventually to be the Gordian knot of the drug-trafficking problematic, making this, in turn and through the conflicts it nurtures, a major geopolitical phenomenon.   Ain't no understatement there...

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