21st OF JULY: REMEMBRANCE DAY

After almost one century of international polices focused on the repression and the prohibition of certain substances, 

it is the moment to promote a human approximation that is socially oriented and moreover, more effective. 

The main objective is to protect the health of controlled drugs users 

and the recognition of all the affected people in a direct or indirect way.  

CATNPUD

Catalan Network of people who use drugs

Lighting candles, offering of flowers, music and dedications 

from family and friends

 to the disappear ones because of the drugs.

The 21^st of July is a day for remembering and honouring:

Criminalized or imprisoned people for their addiction.

Those ones who were dead due to adulterant substances, non-regulated, from the black market or from infections related with the ingestion without been able to have any access to a damage reduction program.

People who were dead due to an overdose, have given up on the fight, or cannot fight anymore.

Those ones who were dead due to disease, violence or executions in a prison or challenging the law to obtain the drug or the substance.

The solution to this problem is a better legislation and regularization that is adapted to the reality. 

Nowadays, the illegal drug market has become in a lucrative business handled by criminals. 

On another note, the main aim from legal approach, mostly of it, is about the punishment and not about helping and solving the problems.

Lecture of the CATNPUD declaration. 

Since 2003, more than 50 people were dead in Reus in the war against drugs.  

We consider this as positive the interest of the local press for the workshop.

 

After almost 20 years working for the user’s rights and in favour of the public health, ARSU is having a good recognition, specially in Reus and has been involved in more work groups.

The first ARSU’s appearance on media. 

Interview in the newspaper EL PUNT 13^th June 1999

21^st June 2018, Canal Reus TV television news

The broadcast of the workshop in the social network was though the hashtag #NoMasWarOnDrugs:

#NoMasWarOnDrugs see what happen in Catalunya @idpc @AteneuRaval @euronpud @INPUD @Cat_FAC @salutpublicabcn @CreuRoja_Salut @aferssocialscat @CorrelationNet @echelecabeza @HRInews @HarmReduction @hr @SDPcampaign @Intercambios_AC @FederacionFAC @NGO_ICEERS pic.twitter.com/DE9fQ0kYRc

— CATNPUD.org (@CATNPUD) 24 de juliol de 2018

Step by step, we are extending the perspectives of this phenomenon

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That same day, Canal Reus TV television news was starting with the news that ARSU was detecting an increase in the injected consumption.

Antoniu Llort, anthropologist of the Addictions Service and Mental Health of Hospital Universitari Sant Joan and member of ARSU:

“Sometimes the selling points change. For example, it might be possible to stop selling or buying around Tarragona and they would go to Reus or vice versa (…) it is a problem of the Public Health”

The ARSU association has a tight collaboration with the reception centre, activities and reduction of the damages “La Illeta” and participates in awareness campaigns, prevention and attention to overdose.

Quin Gómez, ARSU’s president:

“the project DI-PI means “diversification of needles exchanging points” and it was created so people could have access to this sterilized material and not sharing or reuse the needles, that could spread infectious diseases”

Indeed, the increase in the injected consumption was detected because of the dispensing sterilized material.

ACTIVITY OF THE EXCHANGING NEEDLES POINTS IN REUS (2016 – 1^ST trimester 2018)

REFERENCE: Addictions Service and Mental Health of Hospital Universitari St Joan (Reus)

  

         

     Given needles       Returned needles

 With this, the activity of the ARSU is concentrate 
on the weekly explorations and the retirement 
of the needles from the public spaces. 



Collecting in 2017, 9,639 needles
 that represent 75,9 % of the regained needles.

Example of the weekly collection

Example of ARSU's action (2016): 

because of the international day of the fight against hepatitis (28^th July), 

ARSU will lead the cleaning of exclusion and hazard spaces. 

Claiming the creation of Consumption rooms, supervised and hygienic, 

resources of reducing damages and risks and the improvement, 

locally and globally, of the actual drugs polices.  

In conclusion, DIPI’s data and the ARSU’s activity show a function of education and constant Public Health during time:  

REFERENCE: Addictions Service and Mental Health of Hospital Universitari St Joan (Reus)

But the exchanging has suddenly dropped since 2011 was robbed a recovery machine that still has not been renewed.

The absolute data from 2017, 

(adding the total amount of needles and kits dispensed in the machine, the Addictions Service and Mental Health, medical emergencies, ARSU, pharmacies and La Illeta) 

are the following:

YEAR 2017

 Given needles: 28623  

Returned and regained needles: 12700

*      *      *

Good work!

                                           Translation by: Anna Poveda

@annapovedat