The new opinion paper adopted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls for less law enforcement and more health and human rights in the new EU Drugs Strategy.
Meaningful Civil Society Involvement in the Area of Drug Policy in Europe – Literature Review
The thematic working group on civil society involvement of the Civil Society Forum on Drugs, an expert group of the EU Commission, conducted this review of literature on meaningful civil society involvement in the field of drug policy.
To Prevent Drug Harms, We Need More Than Fear
The Hungarian police launched an anti-drug campaign based on the story of a 17-year-old boy who jumped out from the window while high on drugs. But telling scary stories to young people will not prevent accidents. Creating an environment where young people can access reality-based education and support, can.
Between Waves: Update on the COVID-19 and Harm Reduction Situation in Europe
An update about how access to harm reduction programs changed in European cities after the lockdown measures were lifted between the first and second waves of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Street Lawyering Program in Athens – Interview with Emmanouela Soldatou
HumanRights360, a human rights NGO, in partnership with STEPS, a harm reduction NGO, started a new program to provide legal help to people who live on streets in Athens. We interviewed Emmanouela Soldatou, the research and advocacy coordinator of STEPS about this new initiative.
A New EU Drug Strategy is Being Prepared by the German Presidency
The new security-focused EU Drugs Agenda proposed by the EU Commission was criticised by civil society and member states. The German EU presidency is now in charge of revising it.
The Land of Free Palinka: The Hypocrisy of Hungarian Drug Policies
When it comes to drugs, Hungary is the country of extremes. It has one of the most repressive drug laws in the EU – and the most liberal regulation of alcohol at the same time.
Psychedelics and Mental Health in the COVID-Era
Psychedelics, mental health, COVID-19, and our drug laws: The Silent Pandemic and the search for innovation in the treatment of mental health problems. Please read this article by Beatrix Vas – and watch the movie they produced about research on psychedelics!
The Oldest Harm Reduction Organisation in Bulgaria Shut Down
In June 2020, all harm reduction services with public funding stopped in Bulgaria for the second time in three (2017-2020) years. The oldest, biggest, and most experienced harm reduction organisation, Initiative for Health Foundation, shut down too. No needle and syringe programs remained open in the country. An article by Yuliya Georgieva.
The EU Should Not Fight Drugs But Reduce Harms
The new Security Union strategy would “fight” against drugs together with child abuse and arms trafficking. This is a bad approach.
