Although we talk a lot about the risks of drug use at dance parties and festivals, do we address the mental health issues among party going young people as well? Read the article of two Serbian outreach workers from the NGO ReGeneration!
European Drug Policy
The European Drug Policy Initiative (EDPI) is a project of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) in cooperation with professionals and NGOs from six European countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Serbia. We selected these target countries in order to reflect the diversity of national drug policies and geopolitical characteristics found in the European Union and its candidates. Bulgaria and Poland represent new member states with restrictive drug policies, while older member states like Portugal are considered to have a more liberal approach. National drug policies cannot be differentiated using the East/West divide that exists within the EU. For instance, Sweden is famous for its democratic welfare society but has a traditionally restrictive attitude toward mind altering substances. On the other hand, the Czech Republic, having endured decades under a totalitarian regime, now endorses a relatively liberal drug policy.
The aim of the project is to advance drug policy reform in the European Union with providing tools for advocacy in the national and international level:
- public opinion surveys
- videos on national drug policy issues (posted on video sharing sites)
- media work (improving the press coverage of national/international campaigns)
- targeting political parties
- targeting international decision making forums (e.g. UN and EU forums)
We have tremendous amounts of evidence both on the harmful unintended consequences of current drug control policies and on the effectiveness of alternative harm reduction measures. However, the ciritcal voices of professionals and NGOs are not heard by the mainstream society. EDPI aims to implement policy change with oriented campaigns targeting society through the media. It connects scholarship with PR methods, attempts to use modern communication tools to advertise new, innovative answers to drug problems, mobilize drug user communities to come out of the closet. Even though Europe is considered small in a geographical sense compared to the United States, due to cultural and language barriers it is more difficult to raise awareness on the necessity of drug policy reform.
Our donors
EDPI is supported by the Global Drug Policy Program of the Open Society Institute (OSI) and the Commonsense for Drug Policy Foundation.European Drug Policy Initiative News
Our EDPI partners: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia
Former EDPI Partners: Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, Czech Republic
Medical Cannabis Arrives at Pharmacies in Poland
People with a doctor’s prescription can now go to Polish pharmacies and buy one of the most ancient medicine in the world: cannabis. Read Adam Stasiak’s report from Warsaw!
Civil Society Identifies Huge Gaps to Be Bridged in Implementing the EU Action Plan on Drugs
In its new report, the EU Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSFD) urges member states and EU institutions to fulfill their commitments and bridge the gaps in providing access to and improving quality of prevention, treatment and harm reduction services.
Bulgarian Harm Reduction Drown in Bureaucracy: Interview with Yuliya Georgieva
The news came as a shock: all harm reduction programs were terminated this year in Bulgaria, an EU member state. Why? Yuliya Georgieva, a veteran Bulgarian harm reduction activist from the Centre for Humane Policy and the new co-chair of the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association, answered our questions.
8 Lessons Learned at the European Harm Reduction Conference
The 4th European Harm Reduction Conference took place in Bucharest on 21-23 November, 2018. Please watch the video report we made at the event – and read about some of the messages we could take home.
In The Clubs About Drugs
Read about the work and experiences of the social workers at Odyseus, Drugreporter’s partner, who provide information about safer drug use and sex practice at festivals and in clubs in Slovakia!
Police Statistics – An Obstacle to Humane Drug Policies
A user story, statistics, and legal background of police arrests for possession of small amount in Poland by Adam Stasiak.
Portuguese Harm Reduction Under Scrutiny
In Portugal, Harm Reduction plays a crucial role when the needs of people who use drugs are at play but there are still a lot to advocate for. Article by Ximene Rego from APDES (Portugal).
Call for Applications – Case Studies on Drug Policy
The Civil Society Forum on Drugs, an expert group of the European Commission, is currently accepting applications from eligible European civil society organisations for a case study project about positive and challenging examples in the field of drug policy.
The Limits of Evidence-Based Drug Policy Making
We often speak about evidence-based drug policies – but presenting decision makers with the evidence rarely works in the way it is supposed to.
