Have your say in this questionnaire from the Asian Harm Reduction Network. And feel free to send a copy to [him] of your email response to Wathanee.
[him] moderator
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PUBLIC QUESTIONNAIRE FROM AHRN
AHRN is conducting a review of drug control policy impacts in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The 2008 UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Drugs review provides an opportunity to objectively and transparently evaluate the past 10 years of work on drug control policies and formulate recommendations for improvement. It is important consider this review in the context of harm reduction, HIV/AIDS, human rights, and other health issues; to evaluate the involvement of civil society in the process and the structure and mechanisms of the review process; and formulate recommendations to re-frame drug control policies against the needs of those most affected by drugs[1]. To this end, responses to the questions below will be compiled to complement government reports and evidence of drug control consequences on drug users? lives as well as on societies from a civil society perspective.
The questionnaire below has been designed[2] to collect and present information that evaluates the health and human rights consequences with regard to injection drug use-driven and HIV infections of the resolutions taken at the 1998 UNGASS on Drugs from a civil society perspective.
If you currently work or live in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, or if you have worked or lived in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam over the past ten years, we would encourage you and appreciate if you could fill out this short questionnaire and email responses back to AHRN at ungassondrugs@ahrn.net or fax to +66 53 893 176 before 25 July 2008.
Please specify for which country your responses should be considered when you return this questionnaire.
Note that all responses will be dealt with in confidentiality and no respondents will be identified in the report.
1. 1. Over the past ten years, has your country had a national drug strategy / action plan?
q Yes q No q Not known
1.1. If YES, when was the strategy / action plan approved?
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1.2. Does the strategy / action plan include provisions for drug treatment?
q Yes, voluntary q Yes, compulsory
q Yes, voluntary and compulsory q No q Not known
1.3. Does the strategy / action plan address HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne infections?
q Yes, HIV q Yes, hepatitis
q Yes, HIV and hepatitis q No q Not known
1.4. How has the application of the drug control policy drug treatment among people who use drugs in your country?
q Increase in access to treatment
q Decrease in access to treatment
q Increase number of drug treatment service points
q Decrease number of drug treatment service points
q Increase linkages between drug treatment and HIV services
q Decrease linkages between drug treatment and HIV services
q Increase access to drug treatment in prisons
q Decrease access to drug treatment in prisons
q Increase access to opioid substitution treatment
q Decrease access to opioid substitution treatment
q Not known
q Other
1.5. How has the application of the drug control policy impacted HIV transmission among people who use drugs in your country?
q Increase in transmission
q Decrease in transmission
q Increase stigma and discrimination
q Decrease stigma and discrimination
q Increase access to health services, including drug and HIV treatment
q Decrease access to health services, including drug and HIV treatment
q No change
q Not known
q Other
1.6. Does the strategy / action plan include provisions for harm reduction?
q No q Yes, needle and syringe exchange programmes q Yes, opioid substation therapy
q Yes, other ? please list ________________
q Yes, NSEP and OST q Not known
1.7. Does the strategy / action plan include provisions for human rights?
q Yes q No
1.8. If YES, please describe the provisions which are in the policy to protect the human rights of people who use drugs.
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1.9. Which departments / ministries have been responsible for the enforcement of the drug control policy in your country? Check all relevant.
q Justice q Labour
q Health q Drug control
q Corrections q Customs
q Interior q Foreign Affairs
q Social welfare q Other ? please specify
1.10. What are the common responses to drugs suggested in the drug policy over the past ten years in your country?
q Incarceration (prison)
q Voluntary drug treatment
q Compulsory drug treatment
q Corporeal punishment (beatings, whipping, etc.)
q Death penalty
q Deportation
q Violation of human rights (deprivation of food, shelter, health care, etc.)
q Not known
q Other
1.11. Over the past ten years, was your organisation consulted or involved in the preparation of the national strategy / action plan?
q Yes q No
1.12. If NO, were any other NGOs consulted during or involved in the preparation of the national strategy / action plan?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.13. Over the past ten years, have there been systems in place to monitor the implementation of the national strategy / action plan?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.14. If YES, are NGOs involved in the monitoring system?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.15. If YES, how are they involved?
q Provision of epidemiological data
q Representation on the monitoring group
q Completion of monitoring questionnaires
q Feedback on monitoring reports
q Other
1.16. Over the past ten years, have there been systems in place to evaluate the results of the national strategy / action plan?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.17. If YES, are NGOs involved in the evaluation system?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.18. If YES, how are they involved?
q Provision of epidemiological data
q Representation on the monitoring group
q Completion of monitoring questionnaires
q Feedback on monitoring reports
q Other
1.19. Over the past ten years, have local (below national level, e.g. state, region, district, county, city) strategies / action plans on drugs been developed in your country?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.20. If YES, were NGOs consulted during or involved in the preparation of these strategies / action plans?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.21. Are systems in place to monitor the implementation of the local strategies / action plans?
q Yes systems are in place for all strategies/ action plans
q Yes systems are usually in place for the majority of
strategies/action plans
q Yes systems are usually in place for some strategies/action plans
q Yes systems are usually in place for a few strategies/action plans
q No
q Not known
1.22. Are NGOs involved in the monitoring system ?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.23. If YES, how are they involved?
q Provision of epidemiological data
q Representation on the monitoring group
q Completion of monitoring questionnaires
q Feedback on monitoring reports
q Other
1.24. Are systems in place to evaluate the results of the regional or local strategies / action plans?
q Yes systems are in place for all strategies/ action plans
q Yes systems are usually in place for the majority of strategies/action plan
q Yes systems are usually in place for some strategies/action plans
q Yes systems are usually in place for a few strategies/action plans
q No
q Not known
1.25. Has the application of the policy led to unintended consequences? If yes, please describe some of the major unintended consequences.
___________________________________________________________
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1.26. Are NGOs involved in the evaluation system?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.27. If YES, how are they involved?
q Provision of epidemiological data
q Representation on the monitoring group
q Completion of monitoring questionnaires
q Feedback on monitoring reports
q Other
1.28. To your knowledge, have drug control monitoring and evaluation mechanisms been linked with HIV/AIDS monitoring and evaluation in your country?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.29. To your knowledge, have drug control monitoring and evaluation mechanisms been linked with human rights monitoring and evaluation in your country?
q Yes q No q Not Known
1.30. According to your organisation, to what extent has the implementation of national and/or local drug strategies / action plans contributed to a reduction in drug use and drug related problems in the last 10 years?
q Very much q Quite a lot q To some extent
q Not a lot q Not at all q Increased drug problems
q No national or local drug strategy/action plan in place
1.31. According to your organisation, what are the main STRENGTHS of the drug strategies / action plans implemented over the past ten years in your country?
q Assessment of the drug problems to be tackled
q Consultation process in preparation of strategy
q Clear statement of policy and objectives
q Interventions relevant to policy and objectives
q Measurable targets to reduce drug production
q Measurable targets to reduce drug supply
q Measurable targets to reduce drug demand
q Targets to reduce negative health consequences
q System to monitor implementation/achievement
q Evaluation and reporting process
q Identified target groups
q Clear allocation of responsibilities for action
q Involvement of all relevant organisations
q Adaptability to changed needs/circumstances
q Respect for human rights
q Linkages with HIV and health
q Other
1.32. According to your organisation, what are the main WEAKNESSES of the drug strategies or action plans implemented over the past ten years in your country?
q No assessment of the drug problem
q No consultation while preparing the strategy
q Unclear statement of policy and/or objectives
q Lack of coordination between key players
q Inadequate resources to implement strategy
q No systematic monitoring system
q No evidence based evaluation of the strategy
q Failure to involve key target groups
q Over focus on reducing drug production
q Over focus on reducing drug supply
q Over focus on reducing drug demand
q Over focus on reducing negative health consequences
q Exclusion of some relevant organizations
q Lack of adaptability to changed needs/circumstances
q Lack of respect for human rights
q Lack of linkages with HIV and health
q Other
The questions that follow are designed to complement the questions above and provide more in-depth and descriptive information that might not have been possible to detail in the standard format above. Please limit your responses to 300 words per question.
In your country, have controls or legislation been introduced over the past ten years to fulfil the objectives set out by your government?
a) Describe positive and/or negative impact of controls or legislation to prevent the illicit production, distribution and use of the targeted substances
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b) Describe positive and/or negative impact of controls or legislation in terms of public health, especially in terms of HIV and hepatitis C, related to drug control
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c) Describe positive and/or negative impact of controls or legislation in terms of human rights related to drug control
___________________________________________________________
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In your country, has implementation of drug control policies and legislation affected the development and implementation of harm reduction measures?
___________________________________________________________
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What overarching principles would you recommend be taken into consideration by your government when developing plans for drug control in the future?
___________________________________________________________
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What processes might be adopted by your government to facilitate application and review of these principles?
___________________________________________________________
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[1] For further information about the UNGASS on drugs process see IDPC. 2006. The UNGASS Evaluation Process Evaluated; IDPC. 2007. The 2007 Commission on Narcotic Drugs; IDPC. 2007. The UN Review of Global Policy on Illegal Drugs ? An Advocacy Guide for Civil Society, Unpublished; TNI. 1998. Background on the UNGASS on Drug Control; UNGASS. 1998. Political Declaration; UNGASS. 1998. International Cooperation Against the World Drug Problem.
[2] The questionnaire is largely based on the Beyond 2008 NGO questionnaire ? itself based on the UN Biennial Reporting Questionnaire (BRQ) ? developed by the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs to complement government reporting efforts. The questionnaire also borrows questions from the Beyond 2008 consultation questionnaire. Those have been used to ensure comparability and consistency in reporting and results. For more information about the BRQ and the Beyond 2008 consultations, please visit www.vngoc.org.
Wathanee Sanoasieng
Clearinghouse Assistant
Asian Harm Reduction Network
P.O.Box 18,
Chiang Mai University Post Office,
Muang, Chiang Mai 50202 Thailand
Tel: 66 53 893175, 893114 ext 123
Fax: 66 53 893176
E-mail: wathanees@ahrn.net
