Russell Newcombe, a progressive voice on drug policy and the first person to coin the term “harm reduction,” has passed away at the age of 66 due to lung cancer. Throughout his career, Newcombe was regarded as a respected researcher in drug use, leading him to be approached by the Home Office to investigate drug-using communities. Additionally, he lectured at police academies and ran courses for drug workers, among other initiatives aimed at progressive policymakers globally.
Newcombe’s expertise at uncovering frequently dismissed official data and writing authoritative, decisive reports necessitated long hours of work, which sometimes involved the use of chemical stimulants. Aspects of his practice were geared around understanding drug users’ experiences, with Newcombe experimenting with psychedelics and other substances. He rejected the notion that drug use carried any inherent stigma and felt it was his moral duty to be open about his own drug use experiences.
Born into a small family in Shrewsbury, Newcombe pursued social science studies at Sussex University, where he attained an undergraduate degree. Following that, he earned his Ph.D. at the University of Kent before serving as a research assistant at Chelsea College in London. In 1985, Newcombe relocated to Liverpool to work on the misuse of drugs project at the University of Liverpool, where he coined the term “harm reduction” in Druglink magazine.
Subsequently, at Mersey Regional Health Authority, he became Director of the Drugs and HIV Monitoring Unit between 1988 and 1991. He later moved to the University of Manchester’s Alcohol, Drugs and Crime Project to work as a research fellow. Newcombe then launched his drug research bureau, 3D, in 1993, later becoming a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology and Natural Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University between 1998 and 2010, before assuming the role of a senior researcher at Lifeline publishers until 2010.
In 2010, Newcombe resurrected his 3D consultancy, focusing on producing further reports and training health professionals while offering advice to television and film producers on accurately depicting drug use. Recently, he provided support to Benedict Cumberbatch on his role in TV mini-series Patrick Melrose, which narrates the story of an Englishman tackling addiction to alcoholism and heroin.
Late last month, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs accepted the term “harm reduction” after years of resistance, offering Newcombe a fitting homage by recognizing his efforts in drug policy. He is survived by his wife Cher, his children Jack and Ella, four grandchildren, and his first wife, Jane
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