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The Swedish Government has decided to support the second World Forum Against Drugs in Sweden. Delegates from 80 countries participated in the first Forum which took place in Stockholm in 2008.
- We look forward to establish an international forum to strengthen a balanced, restrictive global drug policy, says Sofia Modigh, project leader for the 2010 World Forum Against Drugs.
The Executive Director of UNODC, Antonio Maria Costa, and the Swedish Minister for Public Health, Maria Larsson, will give key note speeches at the conference.
The World Forum will take place at Norra Latin City Conference Center in Stockholm, Sweden on May 24-25, 2010 under the high patronage of H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden.
International and national scientists, politicians, policy makers, NGOs, law enforcement agencies, social workers, parents and other organisations and individuals are expected to participate.
- We have worked hard for a couple of years to bring together drug-restrictive forces from all over the world. On the global arena, the pro-drug lobby has stood unchallenged for too long. We are very pleased that the World Federation Against Drugs has been founded as this enables us to work effectively on the international arena, says WFAD Board Secretary Per Johansson.
The World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD) is a multilateral community of non-governmental organisations and individuals. Founded in 2009, the aim of WFAD is to work for a drug-free world. The members of the WFAD share a common concern that illicit drug use is undercutting traditional values and threatening the existence of stable families, communities, and government institutions throughout the world.
WFAD is held under the high patronage of H.M. Queen Silvia (on the photo: H.M. Queen Silvia addresses the First WFAD in 2008)
ECAD prepares side events and tailored programme for the ECAD Members in connection to the Forum. For detailes please contact the ECAD office.
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Book review International Drug Control into the 21st Century - edited by Hamid Ghodse
Published by Ashgate, Aldershot, UK .
ISBN 978-0-7546-7215-9
Review by Peter Stoker, Director, National Drug Prevention Alliance.
The first surprise in reviewing this book is the breadth of issues which the INCB addresses. The simplistic image of INCB is that they are no more than a grouping of authoritarians, inventing rules then watching hopefully for compliance - this collation of studies, drawn by Professor Ghodse into one edited volume, gives the lie to that. INCB are clearly deeply and actively concerned not just with the medical but also with the social and economic aspects of drug policy, are involved in ensuring adequate supply of drugs for legitimate medical use, and are alive to the complexities of drug prevention and health promotion. Moreover they don't huddle in their own comfort zone, they face challenges to their position, not least proposals for legalisation or other liberalisation of drugs.
As a professional in the addictions field for 35 years, a Professor of Psychiatry and Drug Policy, and several times President of the International Narcotics Control Board, few if any can match Hamid Ghodse for experience or authority. This book draws together the strands of thinking in INCB over the past two decades. Each year since 1992 INCB has defined a theme for study. Professor Ghodse has collated and combined these studies into one eminently-readable volume. Anyone serious about understanding the full spread of this field should have this book on their desk - and regularly read it.
The stated purpose of the INCB is "... to protect the well-being of individuals and society". Some contest this in terms of 'free choice' or 'human rights' - INCB's response is that the prevention of drug abuse problems is protecting the human rights of society as a whole. INCB has powers to sanction under-performing countries and to force compliance, but this power has never yet been fully applied. As always, demand reduction and prevention is a poor relation, generous lip-service but relatively small resourcing - this despite many states arguing that this work should have its own Convention.
The 1988 Convention was the first co-ordinated attack on traffickers. Trafficked drugs are often stored in staging points were laws are weak. Traffickers need to be tackled at international level; acting only at national level is, as Hamid Ghodse observes, "pruning the branches but leaving the roots intact".
Controls have become more effective over the decades; diversion is greatly reduced, meanwhile the practice of therapy has successfully replaced some of the over-consumption of drugs through repeat prescription. Alternative products in cultivation countries are an attractive solution, but this has yet to be implemented to any effective degree by any country. Zero percent drug use has never been achieved, one to two percent, as in USA pre-1950s, is probably a more realistic target.
There is no evidence that illicit drug production improves local economy; the current suggestion in the US State of California that legalising and taxing cannabis use would lift them out of financial problems is extremely dubious; more likely is that there would be gains for a few but losses for many.
Demand Reduction and Supply Reduction are symbiotic - but the key importance of demand reduction is recognised throughout the international community. To be effective, Demand Reduction needs to engage with community empowerment, education, media, health promotion, culture, and treatment/rehabilitation. Success depends very much on political will as well as community co-operation. Harm reduction is an acknowledged part of the process but INCB emphatically says "Harm Reduction is no substitute for demand reduction". Under Article 3 of the 1988 Convention it is possible to address what some in the media are doing as 'inducement or incitement to use drugs'. INCB consider that governments should be pro-active, rather than just leaving the advocacy role to people who wish to dismantle or otherwise subvert the Conventions.
INCB emphatically state that "The most promising prevention is culture change" and by 2004 governments could be seen waking up to the possibilities of shifting culture. INCB refer to the reduction in the tobacco use as an example of what has been achieved. If a prevention programme and its evaluation is of longer duration than the election cycle in a given country, then politicians and government agencies will be less interested. Prevention must be sustained, or else complacency and tolerance develops.
In pressing for liberalisation, many criticise prevention and demand reduction for not succeeding in 100 per cent of the efforts, (and yet it is interesting how this failure to succeed in 100 per cent of efforts never appears as a criticism of a harm reduction programme). INCB observes that not enough has been done to disseminate successes. Semantics and memes, a standby of liberalisers' weaponry; do not impress INCB. "Legalisation arguments don't withstand critical evaluation and run contrary to general expectation. Proponents have yet to produce viable proposals. Liberalisation would irrevocably impact public health, social wellbeing and international stability."
The Internet age has given new ways of conducting crime - in the UK more than 1000 websites selling drugs have been identified. At the same time the regulations and the application of regulations leaves much to be desired; in a survey of 52 countries, 33 had done nothing, 9 had done little and 10 would only address major crime matters.
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On the eve of international HIV/AIDS Day, December 1, a group of 17 people from Russian city of Archangelsk and its region visited Sweden. Archangelsk lies in the far north of western part of Russia near the White Sea, with a population of over 356 000 inhabitants. It used to be Russia’s most important harbour city before St.Petersburg was founded in 1703 and still is one of the biggest commercial ports exporting fish and timber.
ECAD was a co-organizer to this study visit financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers working against the spread of drug abuse, HIV and AIDS.
The group consisting of prevention practitioners and university researchers, health, penitentiary and social service workers, Russian Federal Drug Control Service agent, policeman and parliamentarian, was on tour over Swedish social and health care services with a special focus on prevention.
Detrimentally contributing to the spread of HIV and AIDS, injecting drug users remain the primary concern for all parties involved in prevention in the Archangelsk region, scaling from educational institutions to policy makers.
Therefore study programme included visits to Swedish NGOs engaged in public policy moulding and AIDS problems (RNS and Noaks Ark), facilities for homeless and AIDS/HIV-infected (Convictus), state youth prevention centres (Swedish County Council), former criminals society adjustment NGO KRIS (Criminals Return Into Society) and National Police Board.
Giving credit to the well-functioning complex approach to health care in Sweden and cooperation between public and state organisations, Russian guests straight after their return came with some initiatives on inter-institutional cooperation. Among those were legislative improvements to define regional prevention measures against HIV/AIDS spread in Archangelsk region and cooperation mechanisms between institutions in charge; a new homepage covering all prevention actions to curb drug abuse and HIV/AIDS spread in the region; electronic data base for prevention work proceedings applicable in schools and other educational bodies, and expert council to work on developing preventive methods of all levels, designed for various social groups.
ECAD thanks warmly its partner organisations and state bodies for all help with this visit.
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Drug abuse is a critical threat for the nature. South American rainforest has dwindled with 5,9 million acres over the past 20 years due to illegal drug production. Take an active position against drugs, share your knowledge with us and join ECAD!
Under the auspicies of Swedish EU presidency Eurocities address the effects of climate change while pursuing economic growth, which is the ambition for the mayors of Europe’s biggest cities meeting in Stockholm November 24-26, 2009.
Vice Mayor of Stockholm, Mr. Ulf Kristersson spoke of ECAD`s role in this work:
"Poverty is too often closely linked to substance abuse. We should all try to cooperate in finding drug fighting best practice. Allow me in that perspective to highlight the Stockholm-based European organisation ECAD - European Cities Against Drugs - who`s mission is to support its member cities with knowledge and good examples in the field of illicit drugs... They are attending this conference. Blame me if the Director approaches you. And please do sign up as members."
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At the Press Conference, presiding left to right: Jim Corr, Location of the next ECAD Mayors Conference is
ECAD Chairman, Dr. Chris Said, Junior Minister for the island of Gozo, Malta
Public Dialogue and Information and Joe
Zammit, Mayor of Pembroke City Council
The autumn meeting of ECAD Advisory Board took place in Malta, September 25.
Due to economic difficulties in many municipalities the Board members met only twice this year. AB received additional support from the executive branch of city administration in St. Petersburg, Russia, and welcomed its new member, Leonid P. Bogdanov, Chairman of St. Petersburg Committee for public safety and law enforcement, to the Board.
The Board reflected on the ways of making ECAD work more effective and comprehensively offensive in the long run. ECAD`s newly launched website will be a handy tool making contacts and cooperation between practitioners and key persons in ECAD cities smoother and faster.
ECAD is bound to launch a new technically up-to-date website, we are looking forward to it this October!
Maltese government has demonstrated willingness to assist in organising ECAD 17th Mayors Conference on the Island of Gozo in April, 2010. Local mass media enlightened the plans at the Press Conference, where Dr. Chris Said, Junior Minister for Public Dialogue and Information welcomed ECAD guests to Malta next spring.
Pembroke City Council and its Mayor, Joe Zammit has shown genuine engagement in ECAD work, and Maltese local councils in general have been very active members of ECAD. ECAD highly appreciates this support and expresses gratitude about the proposal to host the next annual conference on this beautiful island.
Joe Zammit of Pembroke City Council At Oasi Foundation
shows his guests local specialties, tropical fruits
Later the Board visited Oasi Foundation on the Island of Gozo. Support and care for those in need of treatment from all over Malta, Gozo Citadel, unique natural resources and climate - all welcome you to Gozo next spring.
Subcategories
The ECAD Mayors' Conference
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!