Support. Don't Punish - June 26, 2024

The "Support. Don't Punish" campaign is a global grassroots-centred initiative in support of harm reduction and drug policies that prioritise public health and human rights. The campaign seeks to put harm reduction on the political agenda by strengthening the mobilisation capacity of communities targeted by the “war on drugs” and their allies, opening dialogue with policy makers, and raising awareness among the media and the public.

There are many ways the Bluelight community can support this campaign. Their website will soon have a list of IRL events you can attend (search for your location). You can also submit your own selfie holding the 'Support. Don't Punish' sign to amplify the movement and show your support.

The campaign’s yearly high point is the Global Day of Action, which takes place on, or around, 26th June (the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking). Historically, this date has been used by governments to showcase their drug control “achievements” in coercive terms. The campaign’s Global Day of Action seeks to reclaim and shift that day’s narrative. And so, every year, an increasing number of activists in dozens of cities all over the world join this unique and multifaceted show of force for reform and harm reduction.

The Support. Don’t Punish campaign aligns with the following key messages:

• The drug control system is broken and in need of reform.
• People who use drugs should no longer be criminalised.
• People involved in the drug trade should not face harsh or disproportionate punishments, where retained.
• The death penalty should never be imposed for drug offences.
• Drug policy should focus on health, well-being and harm reduction.
• Drug policy budgets need rebalancing to ensure health and harm reduction-based responses are adequately financed.

Find out more here: https://supportdontpunish.org/

 

I wish something will happen over here where I live, too. But I am afraid I might need to organize that myself as individual, I don't know. I wish I would not need to.

 

I wish something will happen over here where I live, too. But I am afraid I might need to organize that myself as individual, I don't know. I wish I would not need to.

Totally get that.
It’s also easier for some people to publicly stand up about this issue than others.
And it’s true, we shouldn’t need to.
I’m at a conference on drug policy next week so am going to see how many selfies I can contribute with my colleagues to demonstrate support for the campaign.
On its own that still seems a little futile but it can be powerful if a large number of ppl contribute - at least it demonstrates global and diverse support for change.

 

I got to save my son's life when he ODed on fentanyl laced cocaine
However, 8 mgs wasn't enough so had to continue CPR until paramedics arrived and 4mgs more and he woke up
Close call

 

I got to save my son's life when he ODed on fentanyl laced cocaine
However, 8 mgs wasn't enough so had to continue CPR until paramedics arrived and 4mgs more and he woke up
Close call

That's scary. And good that you had naloxone at hand. We are at the point where naloxone just needs to be standard with any first aid kit.

 

@Tronica

As someone who found their way out of addiction thanks to the information and support on Bluelight (rehabs didn't quite do it for me), this "Support. Don't Punish" campaign has certainly piqued my interest. It's encouraging to see so many people in the community getting behind it, especially with the upcoming Global Day of Action.

I'm curious to hear from others about what kind of impact they've seen from the campaign. Have any of you seen or heard of tangible changes resulting from previous Global Days of Action, whether it's policy shifts or changes in how people talk about drug issues?

The key messages of the campaign definitely align with the harm reduction approach I learned here on Bluelight. It would be great to hear about any real-world examples of how these principles are being put into action through the campaign, and how it's making a difference in the fight against punitive drug policies.

I'm also looking forward to checking out the list of IRL events. It's great to see so many ways to get involved and show support for this important cause!

 

I would love to do some kind of protesting or activism. I'm sick of governments telling us we can't put what we want in our own bodies, yet mega corporations can poison our food, our water, the planet, without any consequence (even profit in most cases). Yet YOU'RE the "criminal" if you wanna use opioids (or insert any drug really) to enhance the quality of your life.

Especially when opioids aren't going to destroy my body like alcohol, tobacco or even fast food would. Nor do they intoxicate people in the same way alcohol or even weed does. I'm also sick of the public being so uneducated about this stuff & calling me a junkie/whatever whenever I try to engage people in this topic. The government(s) have done a great job at brainwashing people into believing the dumbest shit about drugs & actually thinking alcohol is some how "safer" or "better" for you since it's legal. You can also buy shit like Dextromethorphan & diphenhydramine over the counter, which are drugs that can fuck you up & even put you in the hospital, but I can't get some fucking tramadol or something? America's drug laws are fucking bullshit.

You also have to go through the healthcare gestapo here to get whatever drug you need & 9 times out of 10, the doctor isn't going to give it to you if it's a controlled substance, especially an opioid.


So my life has to be shit forever simply because we have a dumbass ignorant society that doesn't know shit about pharmacology or drugs & we have a government that thinks using drugs is a "moral failure" & would rather lock you up in a cage & let cops brutalize you or let you die from shitty fentanyl (because that's just so moral too right?) instead.

Something needs to be done.
I'm all ears on what we can do. Although I'm also poor, so it's not like I can fly around the country/world or visit places & go to conferences or make donations or bribe some politicians or something.

 

I would love to do some kind of protesting or activism. I'm sick of governments telling us we can't put what we want in our own bodies, yet mega corporations can poison our food, our water, the planet, without any consequence (even profit in most cases). Yet YOU'RE the "criminal" if you wanna use opioids (or insert any drug really) to enhance the quality of your life.

Especially when opioids aren't going to destroy my body like alcohol, tobacco or even fast food would. Nor do they intoxicate people in the same way alcohol or even weed does. I'm also sick of the public being so uneducated about this stuff & calling me a junkie/whatever whenever I try to engage people in this topic. The government(s) have done a great job at brainwashing people into believing the dumbest shit about drugs & actually thinking alcohol is some how "safer" or "better" for you since it's legal. You can also buy shit like Dextromethorphan & diphenhydramine over the counter, which are drugs that can fuck you up & even put you in the hospital, but I can't get some fucking tramadol or something? America's drug laws are fucking bullshit.

You also have to go through the healthcare gestapo here to get whatever drug you need & 9 times out of 10, the doctor isn't going to give it to you if it's a controlled substance, especially an opioid.


So my life has to be shit forever simply because we have a dumbass ignorant society that doesn't know shit about pharmacology or drugs & we have a government that thinks using drugs is a "moral failure" & would rather lock you up in a cage & let cops brutalize you or let you die from shitty fentanyl (because that's just so moral too right?) instead.

Something needs to be done.
I'm all ears on what we can do. Although I'm also poor, so it's not like I can fly around the country/world or visit places & go to conferences or make donations or bribe some politicians or something.

Agree on every word. I nearly killed myself by accident once when I had absolutely zero access to supplies. So I bought the only thing containing an opiate that I can legally get over the counter, which is ibuprofen/paracetamol & codeine combos. They contain 500 - 800 mg of the non-opiate ingredient for every measly dose of 8 - 12.5 mg codeine. Only both paracetamol and ibuprofen aren't great for your liver in excessive doses while codeine is fine. So I can buy stuff that damages my liver but not a pure opiate which is all that I'm after 'cause hey I might enjoy it a bit too much and we can't have that.

So I took a shitload of these pills alongside a generous amount of alcohol to potentiate. Passed out cold still not feeing a thing. My own body jerked me awake out of near-fatal sedation with a massive adrenaline dump. Somehow staggered to the nearest place down the road with a heart rate of over 200 bpm thinking my chest would explode. Paramedics were called and I spent the next 3 days in ER on a drip with acute liver failure. Just a nice clean dose of pure would've fixed me without pushing me to go to inadvertently suicidal lengths.

 

just to tell we all hate those good old apothecaries, they are just cops-machines, nothing to do with care, quite the oposit. Disgusted, that was the word I was looking.

 

just to tell we all hate those good old apothecaries, they are just cops-machines, nothing to do with care, quite the oposit. Disgusted, that was the word I was looking.

Errrr what -? Man, those old-time apothecaries used to hand you out morphine practically on demand. Wtf are you talkin' about.

 

We got our decriminalization here in BC, on a trial basis anyway. I know thats only part of the puzzle (there are no easy answers) but I can't believe how many people are against it, even people here on bluelight.... It makes me sad.

 

The "Support. Don't Punish" campaign is a global grassroots-centred initiative in support of harm reduction and drug policies that prioritise public health and human rights. The campaign seeks to put harm reduction on the political agenda by strengthening the mobilisation capacity of communities targeted by the “war on drugs” and their allies, opening dialogue with policy makers, and raising awareness among the media and the public.

There are many ways the Bluelight community can support this campaign. Their website will soon have a list of IRL events you can attend (search for your location). You can also submit your own selfie holding the 'Support. Don't Punish' sign to amplify the movement and show your support.



Find out more here: https://supportdontpunish.org/

June 26th, 2024A.D.
Day zero for water in Mexico City,
Fe 26
Iron
June 19th, 1998A.D. MVA Service Rd. Trussville, AL
June 19th, 2024A.D. 26th Anniversary of wreck & Juneteenth {Stowlindar}

I wanted to place a post here, as this is the first time I've seen the new page and this took place on a special day for me ... ○‐–—

August 3rd, 2024A.D. 14:42

 

I would love to do some kind of protesting or activism. I'm sick of governments telling us we can't put what we want in our own bodies, yet mega corporations can poison our food, our water, the planet, without any consequence (even profit in most cases). Yet YOU'RE the "criminal" if you wanna use opioids (or insert any drug really) to enhance the quality of your life.

Especially when opioids aren't going to destroy my body like alcohol, tobacco or even fast food would. Nor do they intoxicate people in the same way alcohol or even weed does. I'm also sick of the public being so uneducated about this stuff & calling me a junkie/whatever whenever I try to engage people in this topic. The government(s) have done a great job at brainwashing people into believing the dumbest shit about drugs & actually thinking alcohol is some how "safer" or "better" for you since it's legal. You can also buy shit like Dextromethorphan & diphenhydramine over the counter, which are drugs that can fuck you up & even put you in the hospital, but I can't get some fucking tramadol or something? America's drug laws are fucking bullshit.

You also have to go through the healthcare gestapo here to get whatever drug you need & 9 times out of 10, the doctor isn't going to give it to you if it's a controlled substance, especially an opioid.


So my life has to be shit forever simply because we have a dumbass ignorant society that doesn't know shit about pharmacology or drugs & we have a government that thinks using drugs is a "moral failure" & would rather lock you up in a cage & let cops brutalize you or let you die from shitty fentanyl (because that's just so moral too right?) instead.

Something needs to be done.
I'm all ears on what we can do. Although I'm also poor, so it's not like I can fly around the country/world or visit places & go to conferences or make donations or bribe some politicians or something.

Deathindustrial... just wanted to say right on it agree with you 100%!
It's supposed to be my body my choice but not even close! The government is ridiculous with the "war on drugs" and the money they spend fighting something they will NEVER win! Drugs will always be around so might as well legalize them. Of course they don't want to because too much money is made from them being illegal.
Id just like to be able to get a drug and be sure what's in it. I've had severe pain issues since I was 15 and got hit in the head with a baseball bat! It was my 3rd serious head injury and it was like the straw that broke the camels back and really messed with my nerves. Anyways since I was so young and so small(5'5" and 95 pounds) I believe the doctors were scared to prescribe me enough to truly help my pain which eventually led me to the streets. Heroin for years and now it's fentanyl. As we know it's not safe but it's the best option since I have a high tolerance as my body metabolizes opiates quickly and the doctors are too afraid to prescribe anything worth while! Even after 20 years of documented pain issues i still have trouble and that isn't right. I shouldn't have to risk doing illegal things just to get some pain control damnit! Sorry for blabbing I don't talk to too many people.

 

Deathindustrial... just wanted to say right on it agree with you 100%!
It's supposed to be my body my choice but not even close! The government is ridiculous with the "war on drugs" and the money they spend fighting something they will NEVER win! Drugs will always be around so might as well legalize them. Of course they don't want to because too much money is made from them being illegal.
Id just like to be able to get a drug and be sure what's in it. I've had severe pain issues since I was 15 and got hit in the head with a baseball bat! It was my 3rd serious head injury and it was like the straw that broke the camels back and really messed with my nerves. Anyways since I was so young and so small(5'5" and 95 pounds) I believe the doctors were scared to prescribe me enough to truly help my pain which eventually led me to the streets. Heroin for years and now it's fentanyl. As we know it's not safe but it's the best option since I have a high tolerance as my body metabolizes opiates quickly and the doctors are too afraid to prescribe anything worth while! Even after 20 years of documented pain issues i still have trouble and that isn't right. I shouldn't have to risk doing illegal things just to get some pain control damnit! Sorry for blabbing I don't talk to too many people.

You’re heard and seen friend, and have my empathy for sure. I deal with chronic pain too from severe trauma and multiple injuries.
Big hug

 

Deathindustrial... just wanted to say right on it agree with you 100%!
It's supposed to be my body my choice but not even close! The government is ridiculous with the "war on drugs" and the money they spend fighting something they will NEVER win! Drugs will always be around so might as well legalize them. Of course they don't want to because too much money is made from them being illegal.
Id just like to be able to get a drug and be sure what's in it. I've had severe pain issues since I was 15 and got hit in the head with a baseball bat! It was my 3rd serious head injury and it was like the straw that broke the camels back and really messed with my nerves. Anyways since I was so young and so small(5'5" and 95 pounds) I believe the doctors were scared to prescribe me enough to truly help my pain which eventually led me to the streets. Heroin for years and now it's fentanyl. As we know it's not safe but it's the best option since I have a high tolerance as my body metabolizes opiates quickly and the doctors are too afraid to prescribe anything worth while! Even after 20 years of documented pain issues i still have trouble and that isn't right. I shouldn't have to risk doing illegal things just to get some pain control damnit! Sorry for blabbing I don't talk to too many people.

Don't ever be sorry! You'll find that you're definitely not alone here on BL!
Sounds like you probably have pain issues worse than mine & what you have to go through is such bullshit.

Wishing you the best! Although I know that doesn't do much to help your situation. But you're definitely not alone. I come on here to rant some times as well cause I just don't know enough people that truly understand what I feel. It's not right & something needs to be done!