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We have the pleasure of inviting you to 3 study visits on May 21, 2014:
Maria Ungdom, X-CONs and Fryshuset.
- For a study visit to X-CONs -
- For a study visit to Maria Ungdom -
We get together at Scandic Malmen Hotel at 09:20 to take the Underground to Finsens väg 9.
- For a Study visit to Fryshuset-
We get together at Scandic Malmen at 09:30 to take the Underground to Gullmarsplan and then to stroll through the Kolerakyrkogård to our destination point.
Study visits will be led by ECAD Head office staff, we will have interpretation to Russian at Maria Ungdom and X-CONs. Read the information below, make your choice and let us know when in Stockholm at the conference.
Maria Ungdom
A counseling and treatment for young people under 20 with substance use issues. Clients are young people that are directed to Maria Ungdom from schools, social services, the police or healthcare system.
Maria Ungdom counseling and treatment center works in cooperation with all national and local authorities concerned with drug issues. The center is of special value for the joint actions with the police when the latter come across young people under the influence of alcohol and illegal substances.
Counseling center has a vast spectre of treatment alternatives, from detoxication to motivation talk, group work and long-term planning of treatment measures.
The work with young people takes place in combined effort with their parents, school and other actors involved.
X-CONs – client organisation for substance users
Together with KRIS is a vital source of help for drug users on their way to leave the criminal lifestyle and substance abuse behind.
X-CONs clients take part in self-help group-work the way NA- Narcotic Anonimous do.
X-CONs work actively to involve substance users in work and assist the clients with lodgings as well as they provide an invaluable support to fill in their free-time with meaningful activities of cultural, entertaining and athletic nature.
In Sweden, a great deal more drug users get support from client organisations and self-help groups compared to the amount of help provided by social authorities, nationally responsible for addiction treatment.
Fryshuset
Fryshuset was founded in 1984 and is constantly changing and developing. It is now as famous for its social work as it is for education, skateboarding, basketball, music and other leisure time activities.
Today Fryshuset runs several schools and programs for vocational training, seminars and conferences, courses in theatre, music, and sports as well as hosting events, concerts, parties and discos. It even has its own church, the Fryshus-church.
At the onset, sports and music were the sole activities, but social issues made their way into the agenda as a reflection of young people’s wishes and needs.
One such early example came in the summer of 1986 when violent riots occurred between differing teenaged groups in Stockholm. The Swedish government asked Fryshuset to step in and help relieve the situation. Fryshuset launched a campaign, touring around the country lecturing on constructive alternatives to violence.
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ECAD partners and friends, largest International Recovery Community, San Patrignano in Italy, will host the First international edition of LH Forum on June 12-13, 2014.
This Forum is dedicated to the positive economy, the expression of the "Movement for positive economy", created by the PlaNet Finance Group in 2012 to promote a new economic model that takes care of the interests of future generations.
The Movement for a positive economy brings together citizens, decision-makers, researchers and social entrepreneurs, who are keen to be involved in the dynamics of the positive economy. New public utility services, the role of the State and banks in care services, youth coaching and training and social impact metrics will be the main themes to be discussed during the LH Forum San Patrignano.
Among the speakers will be: Jacques Attali, President of the PlaNet Finance Group and the President of the Movement for a positive economy, Letizia Moratti, co-founder of the San Patrignano Foundation, Giuliano Poletti, Italian Minister of Labour, Christian Nibourel, President of Accenture France Benelux and advocate for the social footprint concept and many others.
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This is a great opportunity to meet other delegates, speakers and ECAD staff, and also to enjoy some light refreshments and dainty sandwiches!
Venue: Hotel Scandic Malmen (Götgatan 49-51)
Underground: Medborgarplatsen.
Please confirm your participation to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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In order to plan activities for 2014, KSAN and ECAD visited our partners in Minsk at the end of March and have now 3 prevention trainings planned for the coming 4 months, with a focus on young girls, pregnant women, social workers/coordinators at schools and youth leaders. While in Minsk, our group joined a national TV talk-show on the dangers of Spice that took lives of 9 teenagers in just a couple of months. Belarussian society is staggered by the news and the police, addiction specialists, rectors, parents and students demonstrate a variety of reactions regarding this cheap deadly alternative to cannabis. Young students who died were barely 14 years old, came from socially positive environment and were absolutely sure that a non-listed substance, a "fake" drug, could NOT harm their healthy bodies.
According to Eurobarometer from 2011, new psychoactive substances had been tried at least once by circa 5% of young people in the EU. In Ireland this number is 16%, while in Poland, Latvia and Great Britain it is almost 10%. The sheer demand for support to parents and teachers revealed lots of gaps in prevention methodology and a strong will of Mothers Against Drugs to capitalize on the best practices available to ECAD and KSAN. We are looking forward to exciting work together!
(Left to right: Britt Fredenman, Leena Harakè, Åke Setrèus, Iryna Lukyanovich and Janina Romanova)
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Substance use amongst Icelandic adolescents is lowest in Europe and Reykjavík City shared this success story on the 19-20th of March at a two-days international conference "Cities for Youth". Many ECAD cities and their policy makers, researchers and prevention practitioners demonstrated how evidence based substance use prevention method actually works in changing adolescent attitudes towards alcohol, smoking and drugs.
ECAD had since 2006, with the introduction of the drug prevention programme "Youth in Europe", promoted the Icelandic model over 20 ECAD member cities across several European countries.
Could your city benefit from this work? Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Youth in Europe in Bucharest: a success
"The substance use and social factors in Bucharest 2012-2013" is a research based on on data from "Youth in Europe" Drug Prevention Programme in the Capital of Romania showing to all of us a successful story available now to every city.
The report focuses on the findings for Bucharest: comparison of the main variables for other cities partaking in the study, showing results on levels of tobacco-, alcohol- and substance use and hence reporting on key social beneficial factors, such as parental, peer and organized recreational influences.
Rich of tables and figures, the book introduces a Preface by Professor and MP Ben-Oni Ardelean.
E.A. Sarbu, O. I. Bunaciu, D. Maris (Editors), The substance use and social factors in Bucharest 2012-2013, Risoprint Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2014, pp. 104.
Subcategories
The ECAD Mayors' Conference
28th Mayor's Conference - Invitation - May 11th and 12th, 2023 - Malta
On May 11th and 12th, the 28th ECADs Mayor's Conference will take place at Dolmen Hotel in Qwara, Malta. We warmly invite you to join us and expand your knowledge on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. The conference will highlight best practices and research in the field. It will offer the opportunity to network with other ECAD members, representatives from local authorities, and non-governmental organisations. Registration is free for the first person attending from your organisation!
Additionally, the conference allows for a unique experience as it includes a full day of field visits on May 12th. All participants are invited to Komunita’ Santa Marija, which will be sharing information on their services, and their experiences, and will engage in discussions.
The Agenda has now been published! The deadline to register is April 22nd
Day 1
DATE | TIME | VENUE
11/05/2023 | 09:00 – 17:30 | The Oracle Conference Centre - Dolmen Hotel Qawra, St. Paul's Bay
08:30hrs – 09:00hrs| Registrations
09:00hrs – 09:05hrs| Welcome Address by the President of Local Councils’ Association - Mr Mario Fava
09:05hrs – 09:15hrs| Welcome Address by ECADs Chairman of the Board from Kristiansand, Norway - Mr Viggo Lütcherath
09:15hrs – 09:20hrs| Welcome Address by the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government - Hon. Alison Zerafa Civelli
09:20hrs – 09:40hrs| Inspirational speech – “Push yourself to do it because no one else is going to do it for you” by the President Northern Regional Council & LCA Executive Member - Mr. Clifford Galea Vella Maslennikov
09:40hrs – 10:30hrs| Panel Discussion and Presentation – Discussing the Local Context
The prevention team within Sedqa would like to present the following studies.
Study 1: The Role of a Workplace Policy in Addressing Employees’ Substance Misuse Difficulties.
Aim: To explore the probability of an employee seeking support for a substance misuse difficulty elicited by the workplace ethic fostered by management. Through this paper, we seek to determine a possible correlation between the implementation of a substance misuse policy at the workplace, and employees’ probability to seek guidance and support from their employers for a substance misuse-related difficulty.
Study 2: A Substance Misuse Policy in the Workplace: Senior Leadership Teams’ Attitudes
Aim: To explore how senior leadership teams’ (SLTs) attitudes inform the drafting of a substance misuse policy and how those attitudes inform job retention procedures in the case of an employee disclosing a substance misuse difficulty. Uncovering SLTs’ attitudes toward addiction is essential to understand how these beliefs inform workplace policy aims and actions on substance misuse.
Keynote speakers representing Sedqa Prevention team:
Mr Jareth Grima – Social Worker
Ms Sheryl Spiteri – Prevention Team
Ms Stephanie Mizzi Cascun – Prevention Professional.
10:30hrs – 11:00hrs| Coffee Break
11:00hrs – 11:45hrs| Mr Jon Sigfússon Planet Youth – Evidence-based drug prevention.
Mr Sigfússon is the international programme director for the evidence-based Planet Youth Guidance primary community-based health promotion intervention. Over the course of 20 years, Mr Sigfússon directed the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis (ICSRA).
11:45hrs – 12:30hrs| Mr Matej Košir - Strategies and tactics to prevent cannabis legalisation in Slovenia - The power of prevention science and advocacy.
Mr Matej Košir has been working in prevention and advocacy in the field of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs for around 25 years. Since 2006, he has been involved in more than 30 European projects in the fields of health, justice, education, youth and research as a project or work package leader.
12:00hrs – 14:00hrs| Seated Buffet Lunch
14:00hrs – 14:45hrs| Profs. Christian Thurstone, MD - The impact of legalisation in Colorado, USA – challenges faced by [local] authorities and communities.
Profs. Thurstone is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado and a child psychiatrist who specialises in addiction treatment. He published some of the first papers on the potential effects of marijuana legalisation on youth and has devoted his professional life to preventing and treating adolescent substance misuse.
14:45hrs - 15:30hrs| Ms Mulka Nisic - Recovery Cities - Creating sustainable connections and networks in cities.
Ms Mulka Nisic has been involved as a Regional Project Manager and International Relations Officer at the NGO Celebrate Recovery, and Secretary General of the Recovered Users Network-RUN.
15:30hrs - 16:00hrs| Conclusive Remarks
16:00hrs – 17:30hrs| ECAD Plenary for ECAD Members only
19:30hrs – 23:00hrs| Welcome Dinner at The Pavilion Suite, Westin Dragonara St Julian’s - Separate Registration is required in the application form.
Day 2
DATE | TIME
12/05/2023 | 09:15 – 19:00
09:15hrs – 09:30hrs| Transport leaves from Dolmen Hotel & Salini Resort to Komunita Santa Marija
09:30hrs – 09:45hrs| Registration and Welcome Coffee
09:45hrs – 10:15hrs| Introduction to the services offered by Komunita’ Santa Marija.
10:15hrs – 11:00hrs| Sharing of good practices and discussion
11:00hrs – 11:30hrs| Tour around Komunita’ Sanata Marija premises
11:30hrs – 12:00hrs| Transport to Ħagar Qim in Qrendi
12:00hrs – 13:15hrs| Ħagar Qim Visit
13:15hrs – 13:30hrs| Transport to Xgħajra
13:30hrs – 16:00hrs| Lunch (you will have time for a short stroll by the seaside)
16:00hrs – 18:00hrs| Cultural Visit in Mdina – Visiting the National Museum of National History
18:00hrs – 19:30hrs| Visiting Dingli Cliffs
19:30hrs - 15:30hrs| Transport to Salini Resort and Dolmen Hotel
27th Mayors Conference - Gothenburg and online 2022
The 27th Mayors' Conference and 8th World Forum took place in Gothenburg and online 13-14th June 2022.
The World Forum and Mayor’s Conference is a meeting place for people from all continents who are working to prevent drug abuse, ensure evidence-based and gender-sensitive practices, increase access to treatment, and to promote recovery and reintegration services. This global forum is one of its kind where NGOs, self-help groups, treatment centres, scholars, local, regional, and national authorities, politicians and other decision-makers, and others from around the world will meet to share evidence and best practice experiences. This year’s World Forum will include three main tracks: Prevention, Treatment/Recovery, and Advocacy, which will stretch over 1,5 days followed by the WFAD Congress and ECAD Mayors plenary session.
We are proud to announce that the Forum was inaugurated by UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly and will be joined by experts from around the world.
Read more on the website: https://2022.wfad.se/ and access the full report here. 
26th Mayors Conference - Cork 2019 
25th MAYORS´ CONFERENCE
and 6th World Forum Against Drugs 
Conference materials
Kevin Sabet, PhD, Director, Drug Policy Institute, University of Florida, President, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), USA
Speech at the WFAD /ECAD 25th Mayors Conference, Gothenburg, May 15, 2018 (Video 5min.)
Supply reduction in Peril? A lot of the worlds`s drug supply emanates from a war-torn Columbia.
Dr. Michael Jonsson, FOI, Swedish Defence Research Agency
Text to the slides (PDF)
In Columbia, a peace deal has been struck, which gives hope for a closure of insurgency and violence. (PDF)
Thomas Pietschmann, Dr, Drug Research Section, Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs
The International drug control system, global/regional and national drug patterns and trends, and supply reduction efforts at the international level (PDF)
Photo: Götaplatsen @ Klas Eriksson
Annual Mayors` Conference and the 6th World Forum Against Drugs will take off on May 14-15 in Gothenburg this year.
This joint event will address a growing interest to the effective prevention practices, full recovery and alternatives to incarceration and to life-long dependency on drug treatment.
The conference will create a room for elaborating a practical guide to how a recovery city will look like, this will be grounded on the recent evidence-based research. Sheffield Hallam University (UK), Ghent University (Belgium) and the City of Gothenburg have already started working on this guide in practice.
In order to find out more and to register please visit a joint webpage here.
MAYORS` CONFERENCE 2017
ECAD 24th Mayors` Conference materials
On June 12-13, the city of Kaunas hosted ECAD 24th Annual Mayors`s Conference 2017
Safe Cities Without Drugs. Preventing, Protecting, Policing
Key-note speakers:
David W. Spencer, Field intelligence Manager, Drug Enforcement Agency, European Region
Supply reduction and dismantling drug trafficking organizations: In what ways can local communities benefit (PDF)
Kim Nilvall, Swedish National Bureau of Investigation, Intelligence section, Organized crime
Police work in socially disadvantaged areas in Sweden: Impact of drugs on urban crime (PDF)
Torsten Stodiek, Deputy Head, Strategic Police Matters Unit, Community Policing Advisor, Transnational Threats Department, OSCE
Preventing terrorism and countering violent extremism and radicalisation that lead to terrorism:
A community and intelligence led policing approach (PDF)
Jon Sigfusson, Director for Icelandic Centre of Social Research and Analysis, Reykjavik University, ICSRA
Youth in Europe and Planet Youth (PDF)
Laimonas Vasiliauskas, Senior Specialist, Serious and Organized Crime Department, EUROPOL
European Illicit Drug Market (PDF)
Antonio Boscini, Health Director, San Patrignano Community, Rimini, Italy
Recovery and social reinsertion: San Patrignano Community model extended (PDF)
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME (PDF)
FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT (PDF)
Conference Booking Form
Kaunas Castle
Picture: @Rokas Tenys
Warm welcome to Kaunas, Lithuania!