War on Drugs, HIV/AIDS, and Human Rights

Book excerpt: Annotation Drug policies are often categorized in terms of public health and safety: governments forbid the voluntary use of certain substances because such use undermines the good of society as a whole. This book aims to position drug policies in another context - the context of human rights. Articles will examine the rights of drug users, with special attention to the right to adequate medical care, which is often denied to intravenous drug users who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. included will be articles that express a contrary position: that intravenous drug users have voluntarily relinquished their rights by engaging in criminal behavior. Particularly controversial are the rights of drug-using mothers whose children are sometimes put into state custody. The book will also examine the conflict between criminal codes and the human right of individual freedom, emphasizing the human rights abuses that often accompany drug policy enforcement. The texts of basic treaties and accords on human rights will be included.