Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice
Encyclopedia
The Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice describes itself as an open access peer-reviewed
public health journal. Critics say it is biased, not peer reviewed, and not a legitimate scientific journal
. It is funded by the US Department of Justice.
, an organization that has referred to harm reduction
efforts as "harm promotion", and characterized such efforts as "a tactic to normalize drug use". The stated goal of the Institute itself is as follows:
which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice
. The president of the Canadian Health Libraries Association
has also said it appears to be driven more by a political agenda than by science:
Also referring to this journal, authors in the Canadian Medical Association Journal
wrote,
An opinion piece in the The Lancet Infectious Diseases
states "To our knowledge, this is the first time a lobby group such as the Drug Free America Foundation has created for itself a venue for the dissemination of opinion essays, which to the untrained eye could easily be mistaken for a scientific journal".
, Tony Clement
, cited the journal to justify the Canadian Government's objections to harm-reduction programs.
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
public health journal. Critics say it is biased, not peer reviewed, and not a legitimate scientific journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
. It is funded by the US Department of Justice.
Background
The journal is funded by the US Department of Justice, and published online quarterly by the Institute on Global Drug Policy and the International Scientific and Medical Forum on Drug Abuse. These are part of the Drug Free America FoundationDrug Free America Foundation
The Drug Free America Foundation or DFAF is a 501 non-profit organization that currently describes itself as "committed to developing, promoting and sustaining global strategies, policies and laws that will reduce illegal drug use, drug addiction, drug-related injury and death." The organization...
, an organization that has referred to harm reduction
Harm reduction
Harm reduction refers to a range of public health policies designed to reduce the harmful consequences associated with recreational drug use and other high risk activities...
efforts as "harm promotion", and characterized such efforts as "a tactic to normalize drug use". The stated goal of the Institute itself is as follows:
The Institute is charged with creating and strengthening international laws that hold drug users and dealers criminally accountable for their actions. It will vigorously promote treaties and agreements that provide clear penalties to individuals who buy, sell or use harmful drugs... The institute supports efforts to oppose policies based on the concept of harm reduction.
Criticism
The publication has been criticized for having a political agenda to combat harm-reduction polices. It is funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency PreventionOffice of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is an office of the United States Department of Justice and a component of the Office of Justice Programs....
which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. The president of the Canadian Health Libraries Association
Canadian Health Libraries Association
The Canadian Health Libraries Association or Association des bibliothèques de la santé du Canada was founded in 1976. It represents the views of Canadian Health sciences librarians to governments, the health community and fellow librarians.-Background:...
has also said it appears to be driven more by a political agenda than by science:
"That journal, which looks legitimate, which is being used by the Canadian government to back up various decisions, is supported by groups that believe enforcement is the route to reducing drug use."
Also referring to this journal, authors in the Canadian Medical Association Journal
Canadian Medical Association Journal
The Canadian Medical Association Journal is a general medical journal that is published biweekly by the Canadian Medical Association . It covers research and ideas aimed at improving health for people in Canada and globally. CMAJ publishes original clinical research, analyses and reviews, news,...
wrote,
Efforts to undermine the science specific to HIVHIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
prevention for injection drug users are becoming increasingly sophisticated. One new and worrisome trend is the creation of internet sites posing as open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journals. One such example, funded by the Drug Free America Foundation, contains a review of the research supporting needle exchange program and declares that the "effectiveness of NEPs[ needle-exchange programsNeedle-exchange programmeA Needle & syringe programme or syringe-exchange programme is a social policy based on the philosophy of harm reduction where injecting drug users can obtain hypodermic needles and associated injection equipment at little or no cost. Many programmes are called "exchanges" because some require...] to reduce HIV among IDUs [ injection drug users ] is overrated;" it further claims that the WHOWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
position on needle exchange programs "is not based on solid evidence."
An opinion piece in the The Lancet Infectious Diseases
The Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
states "To our knowledge, this is the first time a lobby group such as the Drug Free America Foundation has created for itself a venue for the dissemination of opinion essays, which to the untrained eye could easily be mistaken for a scientific journal".
Use by Canadian Government
In 2007, the Canadian Minister of HealthMinister of Health (Canada)
The Minister of Health is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's health department and the enforcing the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Health Act, the law governing Medicare...
, Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
, cited the journal to justify the Canadian Government's objections to harm-reduction programs.