Britain should welcome Ukrainians with drug problems – they desperately need our help
If Russia takes control of Ukraine, harm reduction and treatment will be terminated – a move that is sure to cultivate blood-borne viruses such as HIV and hepatitis
The war in Ukraine is filling the headlines – but behind the scenes is another battle that has been raging since 2011: Vladimir Putin’s war on drugs.
The Russian president recently accused the Ukrainian leadership of being “a gang of drug addicts”, making clear his view of Ukrainian politicians – as well as people who are dependent on drugs.
His strident views on addiction are well-documented: in 2011, he declared “total war” on those that use drugs; yet, paradoxically, the number of Russians using drugs rose from an estimated 6 million in 2011, to the most recent estimate of 8 million people in 2018. In my view, this only serves to demonstrate how this punitive policy facilitates expansion – rather than contraction – of drug use.
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