JUNKe Life

Russell Newcombe, a researcher with the Lifeline Project in the U.K., presented a paper entitled “Details of 10 Specific Rights on Drug Users” at at the 7 th International Conference on Diversity in Communities, Organizations and Nations (website) in Amsterdam in July 2007.

Since being reprinted and passed around, discussed and debated, Newcombe’s paper has come to be regarded at the Drug Users’ Charter of Rights (link). This Charter begins by stating:

Drug users have the three general rights to (a) consume drugs, (b) receive help for drug problems, and (c) be subject to fair drug laws and policies.

The Charter then elaborates 10 specific rights arising from those three general rights. All in all, the rights are really right on. And they comprise a great launching point for a serious discussion of the place of drug users, as a group within society inclusively. In fact, the Charter concludes with a right regarding inclusiveness:

Drug users have the right to equal opportunities with regard to the institutions and organizations of society – including work, education, housing, finances, driving, travel, parenting, leisure, health services and criminal justice. This means that people should never be treated differently from other people just because they are known to use drugs, nor should sub-groups of drug users be treated differently from each other.

Download the Charter of Drug Users’ Rights document here