On 26th July HIV Advocates takes a stand to Support. Don’t Punish

July 10, 2014 - PRLog -- On Thursday, 26th of June, advocates across 50 cities are set to rally in support of the Global Day of Action: Support. Don’t Punish Campaign.

What it is:

Support. Don’t Punish is a global campaign that highlights the consequences of the War on Drugs. The criminalization of people who use drugs (PUDs) leads to mass incarceration, drives HIV and Hep C infection rates, leads to human rights abuses, and is a costly failure. It costs in excess of $100 billion per year to enforce, money that could be better spent on public health, prevention and education services. Furthermore, PUDs continue to be abused, stigmatized tortured, beaten and even killed in the name of the war on drugs

History:

The Global Day of Action coincides with the UN sponsored International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. As long as there is punishment, rather than support, efforts will fail, creating distance instead of greater dialogue and understanding.

What action to take:

Today, the Global Day of Action is a public show of support in favor or drug policy reform. Leave politics, ideology and prejudice at the door.

Here are a number of ways Support. Don’t Punish People who use Drugs.

On the 26th of June 2014

Visit www.supportdontpunish.org to register your support and share the campaign through social media

Change your Facebook and Twitter profiles to the campaign logo, or upload the specially – designed Facebook cover picture

Become a supporting organization by sending your logo and link to campaign@idpc.net

Take your photo with the campaign poster, then send it to campaign@idpc.net to be uploaded as part of the campaigns’ Interactive Photo Project

Organize or take part in an event in your city

HIV Advocates:

Community-based partners of HIV Advocates work on supporting PUDs globally. Explore the work of Thai Treatment Action Group (TTAG), which has been fighting for affordable HepC treatment, or Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN), which advocates against police abuse and institutionalized stigma and discrimination. Or check out the work of Human Rights Watch, (HRW), highlighting the work of underground network of harm reduction advocates in Louisiana, US and Intercambios who are stoking the fire of debate on drug policy reform in Argentina.

HIV Advocates shares this information on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Sina Weibo to help advocates reach out; amplifying the voices of people working on the ground on HIV and harm reduction.

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