Century of Lies


03/21/23 Human Rights and Reform at the UN
This week on Century of Lies: Human Rights and Reform at the UN. The sixty-sixth session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs was March 13 through 17 in Vienna, Austria. At this year’s session, the voices of people from the global south, of indigenous people from all over the world, of young people, of people who use drugs and of others with lived and living experience joined in calling for real reforms like decriminalization, decolonization, legalization. On this edition of Century we hear from Elli Schwarz with Students for Sensible Drug Policy; María del Mar Pizarro and Alejandro Ocampo, members of Colombia’s Congress; and Dr. Gady Zabicky Sirot, head of Mexico’s National Commission Against Addictions. Plus, Seth Kwame Acheampong, a Member of the Parliament of Ghana, speaks about the efforts of Ghana towards placing health and human rights at the heart of national drug policy.

Guest(s): Elli Schwarz
Organization(s): Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Link(s): Students for Sensible Drug Policy

03/14/23 David Choquehuanca


This week on Century of Lies: Human Rights and Decolonization. The Sixty-Sixth Session of the UN’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs meets in Vienna, Austria from March 13-17 this year. We hear powerful statements on decolonization and human rights from Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca, Colombian Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs Laura Gil, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. Plus, Judy Chang, Executive Director of the International Network of People who Use Drugs, on People-Centered, Public Health, and Human Rights-Based HIV Response for and with People Who Use Drugs.

Guest(s): David Choquehuanca
Organization(s): Human Rights and Decolonization.
Link(s): Drug War Facts

03/07/23 Elisabeth Epps


This week on Century of Lies: Compassion Gains Ground in Colorado. The Colorado Legislature is considering whether to allow municipalities in that state to save lives by authorizing the operation of overdose prevention centers. We hear from two of the co-sponsors of House Bill 23-1202, CO State Rep. Elisabeth Epps and Rep. Jenny Willford, plus Lisa Raville with the Harm Reduction Action Center; Alison Coombs, a member of the Aurora City Council; Racquel Garcia, Co-Chair of the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration Advisory Council and founder and CEO of Hard Beauty; Meghan MacKillop, Legislative & Policy Advocate at the Colorado Municipal League; Doctor Sarah Axelrath, a Primary Care and Addiction Medicine Physician with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless; and Hassan Latif, Executive Director of the Second Chance Center.

Guest(s): Elisabeth Epps
Organization(s): Colorado Legislature
Link(s): Drug War Facts

02/28/23 Mal McLeod

This week on Century of Lies: Drug Checking and Safe Supply. We hear from Professor Mal McLeod with the Australian National University’s College of Science on delivering the CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service. Plus we hear from Dylan Griffith, founder of the Kootenay Insurrection for Safe Supply, speaking on safe supply in rural and remote communities.

Guest(s): Mal McLeod
Organization(s): Australian National University’s College of Science
Link(s): Drug War Facts

02/21/23 Doctor Gabriela Barbaglia

This week on Century of Lies: Methamphetamine and Harm Reduction. We hear from Doctor Gabriela Barbaglia, Senior Medical Officer of the Prevention and Care of Substance Abuse Service and a professor at Pompeu Fabra University, and Ester Aranda, Manager of Harm Reduction Projects at Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo in Barcelona, Spain, on methamphetamine use and harm reduction in Barcelona. Plus, Phoenix Beck McGreevy, a Research Associate with the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, and Erin Howley, a Senior Research Associate with the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, on imagining safe supply.

Guest(s): Doctor Gabriela Barbaglia
Organization(s): Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
Link(s): Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

02/14/23 Eris Nyx

This week on Century of Lies: Compassion Clubs and Safe Supply – part two of our conversation with Eris Nyx from the Drug User Liberation Front in Vancouver, BC.

Guest(s): Eris Nyx
Organization(s): Drug User Liberation Front
Link(s): Drug War Facts

02/07/23 Eris Nyx

On this edition of Century, part one of a conversation with Eris Nyx of the Drug User Liberation Front about decrim, safe supply, and the compassion club model.

Guest(s): Eris Nyx
Link(s): Drug War Facts

01/31/23 Maxine Dexter,

This week on Century of Lies: Harm Reduction in Oregon and California. The state of Oregon is considering a measure to expand and enhance harm reduction services. We hear from Oregon State Representative Maxine Dexter, MD, lead sponsor of House Bill 2395, the Opioid Harm Reduction Omnibus Bill; Haven Wheelock, Drug Users Health Services Program Supervisor with Portland area nonprofit Outside In; Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt; and Rachel Banks, Public Health Director at the Oregon Health Authority. Plus, San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Hilary Rosen and SF Mayor London Breed introduce legislation to allow the city to legally authorize the establishment of supervised consumption sites.

Guest(s): Maxine Dexter,
Organization(s): Drug War Facts
Link(s): Drug War Facts

01/24/23 Francia Márquez Mina

This week on Century of Lies: Rural Reforms and Human Rights in Colombia. The UN Security Council met to consider rural reforms and the rights of indigenous and African-descended people in the context of the Colombian peace process. We hear from Armando Wouriyu Valbuena, Secretary of the Special High-Level Body on Ethnic Peoples of Colombia and a member of the indigenous Wayuu people, and the Vice-President of Colombia, Francia Márquez Mina.

Guest(s): Francia Márquez Mina
Organization(s): Rural Reforms and Human Rights in Colombia
Link(s): Drug War Facts

01/17/23 Sam Rivera


This week on Century of Lies: Safe Consumption Spaces Save Lives. The city of San Francisco continues to discuss the implementation of safe consumption spaces. We hear Sam Rivera, Executive Director of OnPoint New York, and Doctor Alex Kral from RTI International.

Guest(s): Sam Rivera
Organization(s): OnPoint New York, RTI Internationa
Link(s): Drug War Facts
