Women against narcophobia

The first campaign „Women against narcophobia” was dedicated to women’s drug addiction and related problems. “Narcophobia” is a inadequate fear of drugs and people using drugs. Strive for truth, education, knowledge, education may disarm narcophobia.” – M. Zygadło.

In Poland, women’s addiction – whether to alcohol or drugs is a taboo. Women are ashamed and afraid to talk about it openly, because they would be deprived of a right to bring up a children and stigmatized so hard, that attempt to restore their lives, their self-esteem being the base for changes, would become hardly possible.

Wanting to raise an issue of addiction and social stigmatizing of addicted women, we invited to the conversation persons, who had a contact with these women, and at the same time are authorities in their fields.

The meeting was attended by: Agnieszka Sieniawska (lawyer,Polish Drug Policy Network), Marta Gaszyńska, (formerly for almost 20 years addicted to polish heroin), Mrs. M. (mother of 20 year old convicted for possessing of small amount of drugs), Ewa Woydyłło (therapist from Psychiatry and Neurology Institute), Tomek Lipiński ( vocalist of a band TILT, Radio Roxy journalist).

The meeting took place in February 9th, 2011 in the Tyszkiewiczów room in the Warsaw University and was led by Maja Ruszpel, spokesperson for PDPN.

From the left: Tomek Lipiński, Maja Ruszpel, Agnieszka Sieniawska, Marta Gaszyńska, Ewa Wojdyłło

Coalition of Women Against Narcophobia

Continuation of the first campaign under the same title – ended by founding the Coalition of Women opposing  Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction, currently in force, and costs which follow it, paid by not only addicted people, but also their families and whole Polish society. As a result of establishing the Coalition, a common statement was signed, supported by inter alia: Wanda Nowicka (vice-speaker of Polish Parliament), prof. Monika Płatek (lawyer and academic lecturer, feminist, higher doctorate of judicial sciences), Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch (public health specialist, International Drug Policy Program director in OSF), Agnieszka Sieniawska (Polish Addiction Ombudsman Bureau lawyer, providing legal advisory) and Marta Gaszyńska then chairwoman of Polish Drug Policy Network (formerly for almost 20 years addicted to polish heroin).

Coalition of Women Against Narcophobia claims that:

-following Portugal’s example, possessing of psychoactive substances for own usage should be decriminalized and funds spent on chasing minor drug offences should be allocated to drug prevention programs and education

-substitution treatment (e.g. with Metadone) should be widely applied and individually adjusted to patient by family doctors prescribing the medicine

-We declare that we want Poland to be a country free from nacrophobia and discrimination, in which person using drugs and addicted to them would be treated as a full rights member of society

The meeting took place in September 29th, 2011 in the Tyszkiewiczów room in the Warsaw University and was led by Maja Ruszpel, spokesperson for PDPN.

From the left: Maja Ruszpel, Agnieszka Sieniawska, Monika Płatek,Ś.P.Marzena Żelazo, Wanda Nowicka, Kasia Malinowska Sempruch