Norway’s new law giving drug abusers patients` rights equal to those of other patients will primarily benefit those among the drug abusers who are currently receiving medical treatment. Those who are not receiving such treatment, or those who oppose forceful treatment or have completed their treatment, might face obstacles when seeking help to overcome their drug related problems.

Egil Rafto House Foundation will in 2004 organize a workshop with representatives from the police and the health authorities, as well as doctors and drug abusers. The object is to discuss whether drug abusers` rights are being respected. In order to ensure that drug users` human rights are not violated, the Egil Rafto House Foundation will focus both on how the new law is implemented, and also discuss how people in various positions within official and private institutions may treat drug abusers with dignity. The Foundation also intends to pursue the suspicion that past and present drug abusers are being discriminated against, for instance when seeking the services of the public health care system or when applying for jobs or looking for accommodation.