Recording – City Report Launch | Civil Society Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe

The video is the recording of the report launch webinar that took place on Tuesday, 9th April 2024.

The City Reports are the final segment of Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network (C-EHRN)’s Civil Society-led Monitoring of Harm Reduction 2023 Data Report. These concise harm reduction ‘case studies’ highlight either innovative practices or urgent issues demanding immediate attention in five different European cities. The reports will serve as advocacy tools to engage decision makers at all levels, either by showcasing best practices or as an urgent call to action.

Panellists:

 

Following a new format, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network’s Civil Society-led Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe 2023 Data Report is launched in 6 volumes: Hepatitis C Care, Essential Harm Reduction Services, New Drug Trends, Mental Health of Harm Reduction Staff, TEDI Reports and City Reports (Warsaw, Bălţi, Esch-sur-Alzette, London, Amsterdam). The Executive Summary can be accessed here.

City Report – Amsterdam. Shaping the future of drug regulation from the ‘bottom-up’

On January 26, 2024, the city of Amsterdam hosted a groundbreaking international conference on the legal regulation of drugs, spearheaded by Mayor Femke Halsema, a vocal advocate for drug policy reform. The event united policymakers, academics, and civil society representatives in acknowledging the failures and human rights violations caused by over fifty years of drug prohibition. Emphasising the importance of advancing effective and humane drug policies at the city level, the conference garnered support from several current and former mayors worldwide. While Amsterdam has long been at the forefront of decriminalisation and harm reduction efforts, discussions around legal regulation have been, until now, relatively limited. The conference underscored the importance of ensuring fair and socially just legal regulation, including reparations and affirmative action to those unfairly and disproportionately affected by the war on drugs, and the importance of guarding drug markets against excessive ‘corporate capture’. The event represents a turning point in drug policy reform, especially within policymaking circles, marking a significant stride towards drug policies grounded in health and human rights. At the city level, Amsterdam is taking the lead in proposing innovative approaches to drug regulation, moving the conversation beyond cannabis, and firmly placing the regulation of substances like cocaine and MDMA on the agenda.

 

Following a new format, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network’s Civil Society-led Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe 2023 Data Report is launched in 6 volumes: Hepatitis C Care, Essential Harm Reduction Services, New Drug Trends, Mental Health of Harm Reduction Staff, TEDI Reports and City Reports (Warsaw, Bălţi, Esch-sur-Alzette, London, Amsterdam). The Executive Summary can be accessed here.

DRUG-PREP update: Research on the current drug landscape to be published soon

Research on the growing complexity of the current drug landscape was carried out during the course of last year as part of the DRUG-PREP project led by the Trimbos Institute and 6 European partners, the results of which will soon be published.

The objective of the research project was to assess the current European situation regarding drug-related developments and emerging threats. It also aimed to identify recommendations and best practices that can enhance the preparedness of drug information systems, threat assessment and response interventions. Methodologies included desk research and literature reviews, questionnaires submitted to the EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction) Reitox National Focal Points, in-depth interviews with 30 key experts, and qualitative and thematic analysis.

Results from the literature review, desk research and questionnaires show an increase in drug use in Europe in the last two years, specifically in crack cocaine, methamphetamine, nitrous oxide, the emergence of off-label medicine use, especially (counterfeit) benzodiazepines and of polysubstance use, or the use of several drugs simultaneously.

Furthermore, developments in the drug market have been noted, such as larger availability and purity of cocaine together with its decrease in price, changes in cannabis prices and usage of synthetic cannabinoids, and adulteration of “traditional” drugs with different new psychoactive substances. The drug trade through online markets and social media is also on the rise. Other phenomena, such as a renewed use of crack cocaine, use of GHB/GBL, synthetic opioids and changes in administration routes (vaping, smoking, inhalation) have been observed especially within more marginalised communities. Another finding is that a larger number of harm reduction services are available in Europe, including DCRs, Naloxone provision and low-threshold integrated services.

From the in-depth interviews with key experts, it was concluded that staying prepared for new, unknown or unexpected drug-related threats is currently still a challenge at both the national and European levels. Other issues include the slowness of monitoring and surveillance tools combined with difficulties in delivering monitoring results to policymakers and successfully translating them into policy.

To counter these problems it would be good to innovate monitoring tools and complement them with foresight activities, including a larger number of individuals, field practitioners and stakeholders in trend detection, and investing in the coordination and formalisation of national threat assessment and information exchange systems. Lastly, it would be necessary to ensure that monitoring results are delivered to target audiences and decision-makers, that effective response protocols are formalised, and that responses are strategic, coherent and inclusive of a broader range of stakeholders on the regional and European level.

 

The full report on this research activity will soon be available on the DRUG-PREP project’s website.