TalkingDrugs Updates from Eastern Europe & Central Asia [April 2020]

Anastasia Bezverkha
12 May 2020
What are the impacts of the pandemic on the Darknet?
  1. The Right to Health of People Who Use Drugs Must Be Prioritized in Global COVID-19 Response – statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is available here (Eng)
  2. Russian Andrey Rylkov Foundation accused of “Narco-Propaganda” Over COVID-19 Advocacy For People Who Use Drugs. Fund decided to close down its web-site about drug policy and human rights in Russia. Read the full statement at TalkingDrugs  (Eng).  Explore how the fund is working in self-isolation via its telegram-channel here (Rus).
  3. Belarus: Read the story of Natalya Holub, a participant of the substitution treatment program, who has been deprived of her parental rights over her 12-year old son.  Read the interview with Natalya at EHRA web-site (Eng).  
  4. 39% of Ukrainians support medical cannabis legalization in Ukraine, according to recent national poll results. Read more at TalkingDrugs (Rus).
  5. "COVID-19. Chronicles of Harm Reduction” – DUNews Studio video series exploring the work of harm reduction services in EECA countries during the pandemic. Watch at DUNews youtube channel (Rus with Eng subs).
  6. EECA’s response to COVID-19: prison health in Kyrgyzstan. Read more at AFEW International (Eng).
  7. “The young and the rich are always eager to get cocaine”. FSB, FSKN and the Moscow drug circulation: a story published by Mediazona (Rus).
  8. UN stated coronavirus-induced shortage of drugs may lead to increase of their injecting use and lead to the rise of HIV, Hep C and overdose. Head more here (Rus).
  9. Darknet on Quarantine: the impact of COVID19 on illicit online drug markets in the US, Europe, Russia and Ukraine. A story by “the Bell” media outlet.
  10. Gender differences in effects of MDMA use, published by Russian telegram channel SciDrugs, is available here (Rus). Long-term effects of MDMA – follow the link (Rus).
  11. “Death is like a dream” – an article about lethal symptoms of opiates’ overdose, by PsychoDaily (Rus).