Meeting of the french-speaking actors in harm reduction

A meeting took place in Lyon sponsored by the "RuptureS" Association. About 150 participants where present. This meeting not only promoted many interchanges and allowed to compare experiences and practices in harm
reduction, but also to better understand the new legal frame (Public Health Law dated August 2004) and the announced structural changes (CAARUD). Argile's Director Christian Verger led a workshop on the subject
"From risks reduction to treatment: What links, what articulations, what partnerships are possible between de SCDAT's (CSST) and the shops? How to evaluate the results?
The need to re-inforce experience interchanges and concertation became clear to everybody, at a time where risks reduction in France is at a key point of its history with the advent of the CAARUDs (Center For
Help and Accompaniement in the Risks Reduction for Drugs Users).
This first encounter allowed to make a balance of 15 years of activity in the area of risks reduction and to define new thinking and innovation pathes.
The minutes will be available from "RuptureS" during the first quarter 2006.

 

Argile exports itself... Experience interchange in Europe

Since two years now, contacts have been established between Polish, Estonian and Romanian Associations and Argile. After some time and reciprocal study tours, Argile was invited to participate
to a colloquium organized by the ARAS (Association Romanian Anti-AIDS Association) on "Development of programs and support actions towards vulnerable populations". Participants
were Christian Verger, Association's Director, and Emmanuel Houzé, Administrator. Christian Verger's speech (lien pdf) generated many reactions, among others from associations from
south-western european countries (Albany, Croatia, Macedonia.) with the aim of organising an experience and practices interchange project in the areas of substitution and risks reduction
based on a community health approach. It was agreed to run workshop with theese organizations in parallel to the Belgrad conference planned from May 17th to May 20th, 2006.
Also, this event allowed re-inforcing the links with "ARAS" and with "Integration", a recently created association for the taking in hand of addictions, which aims at introducing the development
of a risks reduction policy in the Romanian health environment, in a context of massive drugs consumption with the inherent propagation of hepatitis and, to a lesser extent, of AIDS.
A partnership project with "Integration" is being launched, and "Integration" has asked for european funds so as to conduct in 2006 a feasability study for the implementation, with Argile's
technicalsupport, of a harm reduction structure in Bucarest in 2007.
These actions take place following a decision by Argile's board of trustees of progressively expand some activities to an international scope, based on the principle that the fight against epidemies can only be won at a wordwide level,
by developing a synergy and re-inforcing our respective capabilities in a well-understood spirit of solidarity.

At last a legal frame for our activity!!!

The act number 2005-347 dated April 14, 2005, approves the national repository of risks reduction actions towards drug addicts.
Among others, this Act protects health professionals and individuals in the social sector performing activities aimed at risk reduction related to substance abuse against incriminination for use or incitation to use drugs.
To read the Act, just click here !!!