Abandoning moralistic war on drugs becomes centrepiece of AIDS meeting

Prohibitionist policies, heavy on law enforcement and moralizing and light on science and reason, have failed to curtail the market for illicit drugs. Now, a Canadian-led initiative that calls on governments to abandon the moralistic war on drugs and adopt evidence-based drug policies has become a centrepiece of the 18th International AIDS Conference being held in Vienna. Particular emphasis is being placed on drug users because drug use is the root of the explosive growth HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe.