Teresa Borràs Cabacés (Reus, Spain, 25 de julio de 1958), known in Spain as Tre Borràs or Dr. Tre, is a Spanish psychiatrist, psychotherapist, author and researcher, specializing in drug use and dependence and the responsible use of drugs.
Biography
After graduating from University of Rovira i Virgili, Borràs started working at the "Sant Joan de Deu" University Hospital of Reus, a medium-sized city in Tarragona province (Catalonia, Spain). She directed the service of mental health and substance use hosted by the Hospital between 1984 and 2023, and coordinated the municipality's plan of action on drugs (Pla d'accions sobre drogues) between 2004 and 2023.
Borràs is known for her interdisciplinarity approach to drug use and dependence, and for pioneering a number of harm reduction services:
- Opening of one of the first supervised injection sites in Europe, in 1999,
- Creation of a peer-support network (ARSU, Associació Reus Som Útils),
- Set-up of needle and syringe programmes in pharmacies, and dispensing machines,
- Clinical trial on the use of the traditional African psychedelic ibogaine for the treatment of opioid dependence, in collaboration with the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service foundation,
- A gender perspective in the response to mental health, recreational use of drugs and substance use disorders, including partnerships with Metzineres. One of the outputs is the documentary "Green Witch project" about "the use of cannabis by different groups of women from a broad perspective of harm and risk reduction",
- A response to drug-related issues integrating social and psychological aspects, beyond the unique focus on the substance and neural or biological mechanisms,
- Fostering of public debate and conferences in connection with various social and political stakeholders,
- Creation of a drug checking service, the "Isolab Reus" to analyze adulterated drugs in connection with the Trans-European Drug Information network,
- Eradicating hepatitis C virus among people who use drugs attending her services, as early as 2021.
Removal and controversy
In April 2023, the dismissal of Dr. Borràs as head of both the hospital service and the municipal action plan was reported, raising suspicions about the continuity of the health and social care model she had leadered in Reus. Local stakeholders analyzed her dismissal of Borràs as "a clear disavowal of the orientation followed by it up to now".
A petition opposing her dismissal, and demanding the continuation of the services pioneered by Dr Borràs reportedly received 2000 supports, including international organizations such as Harm Reduction International, International Drug Policy Consortium, or INPUD.
See also
- Metzineres
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service
- International Network of People who Use Drugs
- Harm reduction
- Feminism
- Supervised injection site
- Needle and syringe programmes
References
- Moreno, Fidel (April 10, 2023). ""Despenalizaría y regularía todas las drogas"". Revista Cáñamo (in European Spanish). Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- Batet, Ivet (1995). "Pulso Ciudadano: Tre Borràs Cabacès, coordina el servicio de drogodependencias del hospital de Sant Joan de Reus". Tarragona. La Vanguardia. pp. 2–3.
- Morales, Joan (September 13, 2009). "Entrevista a Tre Borràs, Directora del Servei de Drogodependències del Hospital: "En Reus es necesario un espacio de consumo supervisado"". Diari de Tarragona.
- Parlament de Catalunya, Comissió de Salut (2017). "Compareixença en ponència de Tre Borràs, directora del Servei de Drogodependències de l'Hospital Sant Joan de Reus, amb relació a la Proposició de llei de les associacions de persones consumidores de cànnabis". Parlament de Catalunya.
- Requena, David (October 16, 1999). "Adictos a la salud pública: una asociación de toxicómanos limpia la ciudad de jeringuillas usadas". Diari de Tarragona edición Baix Camp.
- Villa, Rafael (1995). "Las farmacias de la ciudad entregan cada día 122 jeringuillas a los toxicómanos". Reus. Diari de Tarragona. p. 19.
- Redacción (2010). "Col·local una màquina expendedora de xeringues a Sant Josep Obrer". Reus. Diari MÉS. p. 5.
- Pareja, Pol (April 5, 2023). "¿Un alucinógeno africano podría curar las adicciones a las drogas? Un pionero ensayo clínico pretende demostrarlo". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ICH GCP (2022). "Preliminary Efficacy and Safety of Ibogaine in the Treatment of Methadone Detoxification".
- Fornós, Sílvia (November 4, 2022). "Prevención y empoderamiento contra la violencia sexual en Reus". Diari de Tarragona (in European Spanish). Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- "Las mujeres también se drogan". canamo.net (in European Spanish). July 27, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- "GREEN WITCH PROJECT – cannabis as a therapeutic and harm reduction strategy in the consumption of other substances with a female voice". Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- Ajuntament de Reus, Regidoria de Salut (2016). Pla municipal sobre drogues 2016–2020 de Reus (PDF) (in Catalan). Reus: Ayuntamiento de Reus. p. 5.
- Castejón, Miguel (April 17, 2023). "Destituyen a la directora del Servicio de Adicciones de Reus tras 40 años implantando un modelo pionero". Revista Cáñamo (in European Spanish). Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- Jansà Mata, Mireia. "La Prestatgeria Psicoactica aporta informació sobre les drogues". Canal Reus TV (in Catalan). Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- Redacción. "La Biblioteca Pere Anguera acull el cicle "Prestatgeria Psicoactiva"". Canal Reus TV (in Catalan). Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- "Reus obre un centre d'anàlisi de drogues per assessorar i garantir un consum més segur". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). February 16, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- Generalitat of Catalonia, Health Department (2021). "The Hospital manages to eliminate hepatitis C among users of the Addiction and Mental Health Service".
- Olària Gras, Jordi (April 15, 2023). "L'Hospital de Reus cessa la cap d'Addiccions i deixa el servei enlaire". Tarragona Digital (in Catalan). Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- Valls, Cristina (April 11, 2023). "Apoyos para que el 'Pla d'accions sobre drogues' de Reus continúe". Diari de Tarragona (in European Spanish). Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- "Reclaman mantener el modelo del Servicio de Adicciones y Salud Mental del hospital Sant Joan de Reus". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- CATNPUD (2023). "#ReusDrogas: en defensa de un modelo ejemplar a nivel mundial". CATNPUD – La xarxa de persones que usem drogues. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
