Phd on Psychology, Master on Drugs, Master on Psychopatology, Psychologist, Professor and Researcher National University of Rosario, Argentina, director Drug Abuse Studies Center UNR, former director Drug Abuse Center at Mental Health Hospital, General Secretary and former President of ARDA, former Executive Board of Latin American networks RELARD and REFORMA.

Issue
Since first Conference hosted in Latin-America, many things have changed, but several obstacles to harm reduction remains.
Drug users criminalization, approaches pushed by the “War on drugs”, official policies focused on mental illness, social perception of harm reduction as encouragement of use,small budget and no wider acceptance of drug users in interventions.
However, beyong the voluntarism of some nongovernmental organizations and few authorities, the paradigm generated in the1990s continues. We must highline current obstacles, outcomes and challenges for harm reduction.

Setting
Southern-cone by the1990s has shown firsts steps with needle exchanges, outreach work(CEADS-UNR, Rosario University, ARDA, Intercambio, Argentina; Bahia University, IEPAS,Brazil; El Abrojo,Irdes Uruguay).
In 1998 the Latin-American NetworkRELARD was born adding Colombia and Mexico. By 2000 Drug Policy Reform network REFORMA developed by colombian lawyer Gustavo De Grieff and myself.
Official approaches feed the idea of solving problems with abstinence and penalty. Drug users criminalization, fumigation, naturalization of practices of social segregation, legitimization of “second-class-citizens”. (Ex:Handbook of people under influence of marihuana in Chile, Just Say No Drugs regional campaigns and Drugs are always a risk,Argentina2024)

Key arguments
We will present the process to change to harvest justice and empowerment of harm reduction in 26 years.
1998-2008. International funds related to HIVprevention. Development of drug users networks(RADDUD, ABORDA, INPUD).
2009-2025. New drug-users profile. Marihuana movement associated with Marchs and acceptance of medical use. Recreational use associated with new organizations. (Reduciendodaños,Chile;Reverdeser,Mexico;EcheleCabeza,Colombia,etc.)
From first clandestine testing in argentinean raves (ARDA,2000), official support has been the critical issue.

Lessons learned and Challenges
Last decade showed a concerned on drugs laws,not only health related harms but social harms. Harms related to official policies (punishment, violence to selected groups regarding age, gender, race), vulnerability, confinement, push the agenda of legalization.
Even advances, a huge official support evidenced-based including harm reduction is still necessary.