Coinciding with the Milan fashion week, the municipal authorities had invested a lot of organisation in an issue of rather greater gravity than fashion. As a new ECAD member city, Milan, together with San Patrignano – Europe’s largest rehabilitation community, invited all interested to an autumn conference on Strategies, Management and Communication of fighting against drug addiction. Italian Vice-Minister of the Interior, Mr. Marco Minitti and EU Commissioner Mr. Franco Frattini were the keynote speakers, and the conference was launched by a video message from UN drug chief Mr. Antonio Maria Costa. The Mayor of Milan, Mrs. Letizia Moratti led the conference from the beginning to the end from the conference platform, and made a strong personal impression on the audience with her deep knowledge and genuine engagement.
The international contribution among the speakers included Oslo Commissioner Mr. Torger Odegaard, Director of the Centre of Drug Misuse Research at the Glasgow University Professor Neil McKeganey, ECAD Russia director Mr. George Zazulin, the Trustee of the Institute for public policy research in London, Lord David Puttnam CBE, Icelandic Minister of Health Mr. Thor Thordarson Gudlaugur, CICAD Project Manager, USA, Mr. Antonio Lomba and ECAD director Tomas Hallberg. The 200 delegates could continue their discussions on the day’s program during a gala dinner hosted by Mayor Letizia Moratti at the magnificent Palazzo Marino. In connection with the conference, one of the keynote speakers Andrea Muccioli, director of the San Patrignano Community, invited the international delegates to a study visit to the largest rehabilitation community in Europe.