|
Europe:
Hungarian
Paramedics
Agree
to
Keep
Police
Away
from
Drug
Emergencies
12/23/05
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/416/hungary.shtml
The
Hungarian National Ambulance Service has agreed to instruct its paramedics
to no longer call the police when dealing with overdoses and other drug
emergencies, the Hungarian Civil
Liberties Union reported (HCLU). The policy change comes as the
result of a campaign led by the HCLU, which has emerged as a leading force
for drug law reform in the East European nation.
Following
frequent complaints from drug users that paramedics providing medical care
would turn them in to the police, the HCLU convinced the ambulance service
that its practice not only violated patient privacy rights, but also had
harmful social results. Drug users feared to call for help in emergencies
for fear of arrest, even in cases where the lack of fast action could result
in death, the HCLU argued.
While
the ambulance service officially changed its policy with an official order
in July instructing local services to not automatically call police in
drug-related emergencies, the policy change was apparently slow to sink
in with some paramedics. In one recent case, the HCLU informed the
National Ambulance Service that policemen were waiting for one overdose
victim when he arrived at the hospital. That complaint bought an
official reprimand for the regional service and a clarification that paramedics
must respect the July policy change and respect the privacy of drug users
in the future.
-- END --
|
Issue #416
-- 12/23/05
New
DRCNet
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Offer:
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Feature:
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Francisco
Medical
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Dispensary
--
DEA
Agents
Face
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Feature:
Congress
Scales
Back
HEA
Drug
Provision
--
Will
Now
Apply
Only
to
Students
Busted
While
in
College
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Feature:
Bolivians
Elect
Evo
Morales
President
--
Indigenous
Leftist
Coca-Grower
Leader
Wins
Sweeping
Victory
|
Appeal:
David
Borden
Makes
a
Case
to
Support
DRCNet
for
2006
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Methamphetamine:
Patriot
Act
Extension
Deal
Puts
Souder-Sensenbrenner
Meth
Bill
on
Hold
|
Law
Enforcement:
This
Week's
Corrupt
Cops
Stories
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Prescription
Drugs:
Alabama
to
Join
Growing
List
of
States
Tracking
Prescriptions
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Latin
America:
Peruvian
Coca
Leader
Nancy
Obregon
Arrested
|
Heroin:
British
Study
Finds
a
Different
Sort
of
User
|
Europe:
Hungarian
Paramedics
Agree
to
Keep
Police
Away
from
Drug
Emergencies
|
Caribbean:
New
Bermuda
Drug
Chief
Hints
at
Marijuana
Law
Review
|
Latin
America:
Dying
Brazilian
Woman
Freed
After
International
Appeal
|
Web
Scan:
Reason/Cato
9th
Circuit
Raich
Brief,
CounterPunch
on
Bryan
Epis,
Drug
Truth
Network
|
Weekly:
This
Week
in
History
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Weekly:
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Reformer's
Calendar
|
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