Policing of illicit drug use in Russia is often harsh and characterised by police use of excessive force and corruption. Studies of police attitudes towards drug users in Russia revealed that some police justified the use of force towards drug users because their behaviour warranted immediate ‘punishment’. There was also a prevailing attitude among police that being a drug user equated to being a criminal who undoubtedly (to the police) were perpetrating robberies and thefts on the law-abiding public – even if they hadn’t been caught actually doing so.
Here are two fantastic articles about policing drug use which highlight the need for change in Russia:
Policing, Injecting Drug Use and Harm Reduction in a Russian City: A Qualitative
Study of Police Perspectives Tim Rhodes, Lucy Platt, Anya Sarang, Alexander Vlasov, Larissa Mikhailova, and Geoff Monaghan
Policing Drug Users in Russia: Risk, Fear, and Structural Violence Sarang, A; Rhodes, T; Sheon, N; Page, K.
HIV risk
A justified fear of police in Russia, coupled with a lack of drug treatment services, has left many drug users vulnerable to HIV and other blood-borne viruses. Russia has over 5.1 million drug users, of which 2.5 million are considered to be drug addicts. In some regions of the country, HIV infection rates are up to 61 percent among drug users partially explained by drug injecting.
Russian Exodus
After the Soviet Union collapse in 1989, there was an exodus of people to western countries. Many emigrated to Israel and contributed significantly to the country’s economic prosperity. Some of the emigrating population were drug users prior to arriving in Israel and many other Russian speaking people became addicted to drugs after leaving their country of birth and taking up residence in Israel. There remains debate about whether the Israeli government should provide harm reduction and drug treatment services specifically for this group or whether programs should cater to the whole community.
Learn more by reading the papers below!
Russian Speaking Immigrants-Drug Use, Infectious Disease and Related Health Behavior, 2013 Richard Isralowitz • Alexander Reznik
Former Soviet Union Immigrant Illicit Drug Use in Israel (1989-2010), 2013 Richard Isralowitz, Alexander Reznik and Tamar Peleg
By the same authors:
Cannabis Use Among High-Risk Youth in Israel (2004–2011): An Examination of Gender and Country of Origin Status Richard Isralowitz, PhD, and Alexander Reznik, PhD.