Invitation: Tshwane Substance Use Research Symposium 

On 16 and 17 November 2021, the University of Pretoria’s Community Oriented Substance Use Programme (COSUP), together with the Drug and Substance Abuse (DSA) Unit at the City of Tshwane, and the South African Network of People Who Use Drugs (SANPUD) will be hosting a virtual research symposium focusing on the work done in and around substance use in the City of Tshwane.

Stigma. Criminalisation. Incarceration. Discrimination. All of these are facts of life drug users, who have faced the fierce consequences of the War On Drugs which has raged across the world for decades - and yet, despite these consequences, they have persisted. Join us on November 1st, along with the the International Network For People Who Use Drugs, as we celebrate International Drug Users Day.

As the number of stimulant compounds has grown in recent years (including those in the synthetic cathinone class), so the danger to users of stimulants in terms of contracting Hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS has grown. In response to this, UNODC has released a series of videos designed to provide stimulant users with advice on how best to avoid practices that could lead to infection, and treatment and care.

Brave African Discussions in Emergency Medicine host a 'deep dive primer' educating emergency staff on caring for people who inject heroin in emergency care environments.

On the 19th October, the International Drug Policy Consortium, UNODC, African Union, University of Cape Town, the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development, and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime will host an online seminar that seeks to revisit the issue of drugs and development in Africa from a refreshed angle.

The International Network of People Who Use Drugs, together with the Rights Reporter Foundation, launches the #MoreThan Video Contest to promote a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate approach in presenting the lives of people who use drugs.