IN THE ANGELA Davis book, The Meaning of Freedom and Other Difficult Dialogues, she states that “We fight the same battles over and over again. They are never won for eternity, but in the process of struggling together, in community, we learn how to glimpse new possibilities that otherwise never would have become apparent to us, and in the process we expand and enlarge our very notion of freedom.”

We are still in that difficult dialogue when it comes to drug policy. The structures in Ireland recognise recovery as part of the continuum of care, which includes harm reduction. Historically, the formation of Drug Task Forces has centred community-led approaches that acknowledge that harm is experienced differently across communities.

Ireland’s drug laws remain rooted in outdated frameworks inherited from colonial and imperial powers. For decades, the case for safer drug policy has been made by the communities most harmed and by those guided by evidence, not ideology. As the political discussion gains momentum, we must not lose sight of the clear evidence: a criminal justice approach to drug use has caused profound and lasting harm, and alongside this, harm reduction and recovery are key components to the continuum of care and are not in opposition to one another.

I am looking across the Atlantic at the vibrations and reverberations of all the progress we have made, as Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. take us backwards. In 2022, I wrote several pieces for the Journal on the relationship between the United States and the Misuse of Drugs Act, which has harmed us in Ireland since 1977.

We know, when looking back at the transcripts, Ireland introduced this legislation to adhere to United Nations obligations that were driven by a racist and classist agenda in the States. The reality of backsliding in the US and the choices we’re left with in terms of the policies we pursue and where we take our inspiration from, it is vital that we embed Human Rights in Ireland in how we do drug policy and how we treat people who use drugs. This means aligning the new National Drug Strategy with the evidence, Citizens Assembly and the Joint Oireachtas on Drug Use Interim report and final report to come this........

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