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.