A recent publication by Lancet HIV found a link between the criminalization of drugs and the spread of HIV.
The publication was based on research conducted by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Despite the good intentions of individuals who are on the frontline of the war against drugs, such criminalization of the activity may be doing more harm than previously thought.
"The unintended consequences of drug prohibition are astronomical and movement towards more stringent policies is a disaster for public health and our communities," Dr. Kora DeBeck, study co-lead and assistant professor in the School of Public Policy with the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, said.
The research was based on 106 global and peer-reviewed studies that were published from January 2006 to December 2014. The overwhelming conclusion of all of the studies was that drug criminalization leads to a worsening HIV epidemic.
"In order to finally achieve an AIDS-Free Generation in high and low income settings alike, we should collectively reform existing legal systems and policies that criminalize drug use by people who inject drugs," Stefan Baral, associate professor of epidemiology at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said.
It is approximated that there are 1.7 million people suffering from HIV, which is between 9 and 20 percent of the world's 8.4 million to 19 million individuals who inject psychoactive drugs.
Alerts Sign-up