Stigmatization Leads to Discrimination, Which Results in Violations of Human Rights
We talked to Denis Huber, who has been serving since 2018 as the executive secretary of the “Pompidou Group” (Council of Europe International Cooperation Group on Drugs and Addiction), which brings together 41 Member States to address the issues of drug abuse and the illicit trafficking of drugs.
How do you deal with the routes of drug trafficking (For example, the Balkan route, which directly affects several of the Member States in the Group)? What kind of legal sanctions do you propose, and do you cooperate with states or transnational organizations?
We facilitate the organization of a collaboration forum for international airlines, as well as a general aviation expert group and a regional Southeast European airline group. The overall purpose of these collaborations is to reduce illegal trafficking through the sharing of information on the development of control, risk management, profiling, detection and investigation measures. This can be achieved by assessing risks, raising awareness, exchanging information, sharing best practices and increasing knowledge of drug trafficking via major airlines and general aviation by engaging in multidisciplinary collaborations. To this end, the Pompidou Group has recently established a resource bank providing national information as regards controlled deliveries. This resource bank is intended to support the rapid and safe control of deliveries between countries in a highly efficient and safe way.
What do you think about the stigmatizing attitudes and/or actions toward drug use and users? What do you suggest can be done to raise the awareness of politicians, health professionals, researchers, etc. about the stigma attached to people who use drugs, and to reduce this stigma?
Stigma leads to discrimination, and further to violations of human rights. Stigma brings with it isolation and increases the risk of starting drug use, higher-risk use and recurrence. Stigma, discrimination and inequality affect the course of substance use, particularly the transition from recreational/medical use to substance use disorder. Criminalizing substance users adds a second layer of stigma to the addiction. Race, gender, ethnicity and social conditions can lead to further stigma, worsening the consequences.
Awareness is growing that the stigma surrounding addiction is a discriminating social evil. The research showed that the stigma of mental disease decreases as awareness and knowledge increase, although the situation is not the same when it comes to addiction. Drug addiction continues to be at the top of the social disapproval list.
Pompidou Group delivers training to policymakers and professionals on how to avoid and reduce the effects of stigma. Working in collaboration with Canada, the Pompidou Group took the initiative to address this issue at the United Nations.
How do you suggest access to controlled drugs can be maintained in the current COVID-19 era, while preventing diversification in illicit markets?
Here, it is crucial to ensure that all patients who require scheduled drugs are supplied with sufficient quantities of their drugs, and that the regulation of such drugs is assured. Awareness should be raised among physicians, and regulations should be streamlined to avoid any unnecessary delays in prescription and delivery. It is important not to forget the needs of existing patients for controlled drugs for the management of their health problems. Such patients often encountered problems in accessing controlled drugs even before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the subsequent disruption to the pharmaceutical supply chain has turned the provision of healthcare and drugs into a serious issue that should not be forgotten, and that should be given priority during this pandemic. Looking from a human rights perspective, saving lives and preventing suffering should take precedence over diverting attention, in such a situation.
What would you say are the main challenges related to drug use and illicit trafficking among the Member States? What assistance do you provide to States for the local implementation of designed policies and/or programs?
In terms of narcotic drug trafficking, combating corruption and money laundering are the key priorities, being the most effective ways of reducing the capacity of organized crime groups. Online drug sales and financial transactions have increasingly emerged as approaches for the marketing of illicit drugs. Increasing our criminal intelligence and collaborating with the IT industry are some of the promising options on the table. We help by creating tools for law enforcement officers, sharing information on the development of control, risk management, profiling, detection and investigation measures. Another challenge concerns the risk of addiction to communication technologies. Today, we are beginning to understand that modern technologies are deliberately designed to be habit-forming and provide the user with rewards to engage them. Evidence has shown that the use of habit-forming algorithms can be addictive. Internet gaming disorder has been recognized as a pathology similar to online gambling. There are also links between the use of drugs, such as cocaine, and addiction to online gambling and gaming. The mandate of the Pompidou Group was recently revised to allow us to overcome this challenge. The challenge here is not to restrict smartphone or Internet use. We must instead be innovative in arranging habitforming design elements. Given the global nature of the world-wide-web, this can be considered a transnational effort. International organizations, such as the Pompidou Group and the Council of Europe, should take on leading roles. Such efforts can only be successful by engaging multinational IT companies under equal terms. Together, we hold the key to success.
What kind of data do you collect on drug use and illicit trafficking? How do you associate them? From what kind of technological innovations do you benefit?
The Pompidou Group itself does not collect data: we rely only on data obtained by our member states. We also cooperate closely with the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), being the main data collection body on drugs and addiction in Europe. In law enforcement, we collaborate with the WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO) for Western Europe (WE) and with European airline companies for the distribution of annual reports on drug seizures.
** This interview published at the International Green Crescent Journal in 2021.
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