DRUGS BEHIND BARS: Why Harm Reduction Can't Stop at the Gate

Drug use don't take a holiday when you clock in at Her Majesty's pleasure, innit. Four in ten folks walkin' through the prison gates have a drug habit. And it ain't just carryin' on from the outside — some start usin' while they're locked up too. The numbers? Ten times more common than out there. Boredom, stress, isolation... it all adds up to a perfect storm for gear in the nick. The fallout's real: higher rates of HIV, hep C, and TB; withdrawal, mental health issues, self-harm, violence, and overdose. Overdose is the third-biggest killer in prisons. And when they get out? The risk skyrockets — up to 129 times more likely to OD in the first two weeks. Harm reduction's the way forward, bruv. Opioid treatment, clean needles, naloxone, and health ed all play a part. It works. But prisons are laggin' behind. Only 11 countries offer needle exchange in prison. We need to step it up — for their sake, and ours.