August saw the launch in Manchester of the UK Harm Reduction Alliance. A coalition of professionals, users and ex-users that aims to resist the introduction of an American style-drug war in Britain. Delegates heard Professor Gerry Stimson, a leading academic and drugs researcher who has supported harm reduction in the UK for many years, describe the current situation as "dismal" and a threat to health led approaches to drug use. Other speakers, including Matt Southwell of the National Drug Users Network and your own Monkey editor, Ian Smith, described the Blair government's lurch towards a drug war as a potential violation of the human rights of drug users and as leading to the further marginalisation of users. The Alliance is to hold a further conference next year and meanwhile aims to put pressure on for a return to healthier drug policies. We will carry further news of the Alliance in future issues. In the meantime for a copy of the conference declaration write to Monkey or, if you've got a computer and internet connection (or can blag your way on to one) log on to the mailing lists to keep updated about the alliance:

uk-hra-announcements-subscribe@printxchange.net &

uk-hra-discussion-subscribe@printxchange.net