Rights Watchdog Says Harsh Drug Policies Fueling AIDS in Russia

Draconian drug policies that deny HIV-prevention services to the most at-risk segment of the population are fueling Russia's HIV/AIDS epidemic, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released today. In particular, "Lessons Not Learned: Human Rights Abuses and HIV/AIDS in the Russian Federation" cited police harassment of IV drug users, which impedes their access to syringe exchange programs and other prevention and treatment services. Eighty-five percent of Russians living with HIV/AIDS were infected through narcotic use.

Russia's policy of jailing people found in possession of drugs - even tiny quantities - deters many users from purchasing clean syringes lest they be taken into custody. The report quoted an IV drug user in St. Petersburg as saying that police routinely stake out drug stores. HRW noted a drug arrest carries a risk of detention in the Russian prison system, which has become a fertile ground for spreading HIV due to the lack of syringe exchanges and condom access. Russia also bans methadone for heroin-substitution therapy.

"If the Russian government wants to show that it takes AIDS and human rights seriously, it should reject overly punitive measures for small-time drug users and ensure that all drug users have access to a full range of HIV-prevention services," said Joanne Csete, director of the HIV/AIDS Program at HRW. "Russia's continued ban on methadone is completely unjustifiable given the strong track record of substitution therapy in fighting both AIDS and heroin addiction," added Csete.

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