The Future of European Drug Policies: Launch of the 2024 Manifesto for a Progressive EU Drug Policy

Today, in partnership with UNITE, NEWNet and IDPC, we launched the 2024 Manifesto for a Progressive EU Drug Policy, advocating for health, harm reduction, human rights, and evidence-based strategies in drug policy reform in anticipation of the upcoming European Parliament elections.

The European Union’s drug policy stands at a critical juncture as we approach the 2024 European Parliament elections. While the establishment of a new EU Drug Agency signals progress, in good part thanks to the work of the European Parliament in rooting the new agency in a health and social agenda, concerns arise over the European Commission’s support for a punitive ‘war-on-drugs’ approach. At the same time, the Commission has reduced funding and support for health interventions and for the role of civil society and communities in policymaking. Simultaneously, initiatives for a health-based regulation of cannabis, spearheaded by countries like Malta, Germany, and Luxembourg, highlight evolving perspectives across the continent.

In March, Correlation, NEWNet and IDPC initiated the Drug Policy Manifesto for the 2024 European Parliament Elections, laying down a vision for a pragmatic, innovative, and human rights-centred European drug policy that will foster healthier and safer communities. Since then, the Manifesto has gathered more than 600 signatories, including over 250 European drug policy NGOs, over 150 drug policy experts, and over 25 elected officials. 

Today’s launch event, chaired by Katrin Schiffer, Executive Director of Correlation-European Harm Reduction Network and Head of the International Department of Stichting De Regenboog Groep, brought together MEPs, candidates, representatives from Civil Society Organisations and other drug policy experts, all committed to steering towards an EU drug policy that would make Europe safer, healthier, and more just. 

Decriminalisation and a human-rights-based approach were reiterated as central themes during the event, emphasising the importance of meaningful community involvement in shaping effective drug policy.

“Let communities lead! Several groups of people who use drugs are not registered formally as NGOs. Nevertheless, they have a lot to teach us. These voices should be amplified!”
– Alexei Lakhov, Executive Director of the European Network of People Who Use Drugs

MEPs from the Pirate Party, Janka Michailidu and Sven Clement, emphasised the necessity for a more pragmatic EU drug policy, advocating for a holistic approach that integrates mental health perspectives and abandons the punitive ‘war-on-drugs’ paradigm. They also stressed the importance of coordinated approaches across EU member states to advance progressive drug policies.

“It doesn’t help if a European country is very progressive in drug policy if their neighbours are the complete opposite. It is very important, when it comes to drug policy, that we work across borders in Europe”.
– Sven Clement, MEP

MEP Isabel Santos highlighted the urgency of action at this pivotal moment, described as a ‘turning point’ as the European Parliament, the European Drugs Agency, and the European Commission embark on renewal processes. She also underscored the significance of enhancing cooperation with civil society, as outlined in Article 55 of the new EU Drugs Agency mandate.

“Whether it is about representing the diverse perspectives and empowering the voices of the affected communities; communicating relevant research, data or information on emerging challenges and trends; or upholding human rights and social justice, by prioritising harm reduction and treatment over punishment or enforcement-only view of the drugs phenomenon, this is the place to do it.”
– Isabel Santos, MEP

In conclusion, the initiators of the Manifesto presented several recommendations for MEPs,

  1. asking for their support in presenting the Manifesto to the LIBE Committee;
  2. calling on MEPs to consider the possibility of creating an informal working group within the European Parliament dedicated to drugs and drug policy discussions, which would regularly consult with civil society;
  3. encouraging them to ensure that civil society is invited to all drug-related hearings organised at the European Parliament;
  4. calling on MEPs to ensure that the European Commission implements the EU drug strategy 2021-2025 in a balanced way, and to hold EU institutions accountable for the securitisation of drug policy;
  5. urging them to encourage the European Commission to develop a new funding mechanism for drug policy projects, focusing on health and in particular harm reduction, as this topic has been neglected over the past few years over projects focusing on drug law enforcement and supply reduction.

Reaffirming our commitment as civil society, we will continue to discuss how to elevate the Manifesto and stimulate dialogue at both national and EU levels regarding our recommendations.

Join the movement – Find out more about the Manifesto and sign it here!

 

Watch the event’s recording:

 

5-5-5 Zone – We won’t be left behind! at AIDS 2024 conference: Call for Proposals

The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) together with AIDS Action Europe (AAE) and Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network (C-EHRN) are issuing this Call for Participation in “5-5-5 – We won’t be left behind!”, a networking zone in the Global Village at the 25th International AIDS Conference (22 July – 26 July 2024) in Munich, Germany.

Please carefully read the application details before submitting your application. Click here to submit your application: https://forms.office.com/e/bL7xzEMVvq

Application deadline 23 May 2024, 23:59 CET. 

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide financial support for presenters or participants. Organisers must find their own funding for travel to Munich, Germany and all costs associated with participation in AIDS 2024. For more information about the conference visit: www.aids2024.org.

Entry to the Global Village is free and open to the public. It does not require the payment of a conference registration fee.

If you have any questions, please contact Chiara Longhi (chiara.longhi@eatg.org).

 

Objectives

The 5-5-5 – We won’t be left behind! zone will examine gaps and solutions to achieve the 95% targets, and how to reach the remaining 5% with a focus on the WHO European region (partners beyond the region are welcome to apply). There will be one theme per day with inspirational talks, presentations, and recaps on key learnings.

The objectives are:

  1. To foster and strengthen cross-sectional and cross-country collaborations by providing a space for mutual-learning and networking together means for them.
  2. To strengthen the inclusivity and participatory nature of HIV related organisations by consulting communities on what meaningful engagement.
  3. To strengthen and sharpen advocacy initiatives, by providing a space to discuss communities’ advocacy priorities, challenges, and ways to work.

The zone will provide space for community organisations to organise sessions around 5 themes. The overarching themes will be to address stigma and discrimination, improve health outcomes of inadequately served populations and social justice.

Thematic days:

  1. Mobility and HIV (21 July).
  2. Sexuality and sex positive approaches (22 July).
  3. Well-being, quality of life and mental health (23 July).
  4. Substance use and harm reduction (24 July).
  5. Blind spots in the HIV response (25 July).

Who can apply?

We are calling for participation from grassroots and national NGOs, community-based organisatios, networks, researchers, institutions, civil society organisations, human rights organisations, advocacy associations for people living with HIV and other social justice organisations, as well as leaders in the field of HIV from around the WHO European region to join us in advancing the above objectives. Partners beyond the region are welcome to apply.

In our networking zone, we are particularly looking for applications from people living with HIV and other co-infections, trans and gender-diverse people, migrants and people on who move, women, people who use drugs and people in prisons and closed settings.

Activities

We invite you to apply to host an activity related to one the thematic days (Mobility and HIV; Sexuality and sex positive approaches; Well-being, quality of life and mental health; Substance use and harm reduction; Blind spots in the HIV response) including, but not limited to, the following types:

  1. Posters, presentations and discussions
  2. Demonstrations of innovative advocacy or equity initiatives
  3. Display of art projects
  4. Presentations of new research findings and evidence
  5. Interactive skills-building sessions and workshops
  6. Film screenings and digital storytelling
  7. Stories from community representatives
  8. Presentation of policy papers and community resources
  9. Roundtable discussions with key stakeholders in the field of HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs
  10. Facilitated networking events

C-EHRN at the UNAD Congress | Exploring Synthetic Opioids and Harm Reduction

Last week our Head of Policy, Roberto Perez Gayo, participated in the Congress organised by UNAD ‘La red de atención a las adicciones’ in Oviedo, Asturias, to reflect on current developments and challenges in the provision of care and support to people who use drugs in Spain.

Under the banner “A journey through the pathways to addiction care with a gender perspective”, the Congress dedicated an important space to examine the public health challenge posed by synthetic opioids. Together Mireia Ventura, director of Energy Control -ABD‘s Analysis Services, and Roberto Perez Gayo participated in the panel “Nitazenes and other synthetic drugs: a rigorous analysis for drug dependence care professionals”.

In their presentation, the pair of speakers demonstrated how scientific evidence dismantles the media alarm about some substances, such as fentanyl. Nitazenes, on the other hand, were highlighted as a reality already present in some countries, where synthetic substances are beginning to be used as adulterants of other drugs, considerably increasing the risk of overdose due to their consumption. Faced with such risks, both Perez Gayo & Ventura highlighted the role of harm reduction, and more specifically of supervised consumption rooms and drug checking services to identify emerging trends in the drug market and increase care and protection for marginalised and underserved people who use drugs.

The event was also attended by different institutional representatives such as the Government Delegate for the National Plan on Drugs, Joan Ramón Villalbí Hereter, and the General Director of Public Health and Mental Health Care of the Health Service of the Principality of Asturias, Ángel José López Díaz. During his speech, the Government Delegate for the National Plan on Drugs referred to the first responses that were given to addictions, recognising that they came “from civil society” in the form of the first organisations of family members of people who use drugs. Villalbí praised the role of those first organisations, which “started their work to find each other” and “helped public administrations not to make mistakes and to do better” in the face of the consequences of drug consumption.

 

Following the event, Perez Gayo & Ventura gave an interview to Agencia EFE, a leading news agency in Spanish, which gained coverage in several news platforms including infobae and deia.

 

Photo credit: UNAD

We are happy to announce the New Advisory Committee Members 2024!

Based on the results of the voting process, the following candidates have been elected: Magdalena Bartnik, Irena Molnar, Aura Roig and Marios Atzemis.

C-EHRN would like to take the opportunity to thank all the members who submitted an application. Also, to emphasize the high level of expertise and the excellence of applications received for this election.

In the coming days, the newly elected members will participate in their first Advisory Committee Meeting. In this event, they will have the opportunity to meet the current remaining members and to connect with those who leave their seats.

C-EHRN would like to invite you all to join us in congratulating the four new committee members. We are truly excited to start working with them!

Insights from WHS 2024 | Strengthening Hepatitis Elimination Through Community-Led Monitoring

The World Hepatitis Summit (WHS) 2024, held from 9th to 11th April, spotlighted the pivotal role of community-led services in the global fight against hepatitis. Among the voices contributing to this discourse was Katrin Schiffer, director of the Correlation–European Harm Reduction Network (C-EHRN). Katrin’s participation in a plenary panel focusing on the power of community-led services in elimination underscored the significance of community-based monitoring activities in advancing the agenda of hepatitis elimination. Katrin’s presentation also underlined some of the main challenges faced in the C-EHRN Monitoring activities and approaches to overcome these.

At the core of WHS 2024 was a commitment to a multi-stakeholder, multi-sector public health approach, uniting diverse actors from civil society, policymakers, the private sector, and academia. Organised by the World Hepatitis Alliance with the support of the Ministry of Health of Portugal, the summit aimed to translate aspirations into action, driving tangible progress towards the elimination of hepatitis.

The session in which Katrin Schiffer participated explored the value of community-delivered services to the people they serve and to the health systems they support, highlighting best practices in the design and implementation of services, and how by working together communities and healthcare systems overcame the challenges of implementation to build trust and maximise impact. Katrin’s presentation focused on the importance of investing in civil society-based monitoring and data collection, introducing the C-EHRN Monitoring activities.

Why is it important to invest in civil society-based monitoring and data collection? 

 

What kind of challenges do we face when it comes to monitoring?

 

Challenge 1: Keeping a balance between science and community needs

Among the challenges is the delicate balance between scientific rigour and community needs. C-EHRN recognises that striking this equilibrium necessitates a nuanced approach that tailors monitoring methods to the unique needs and dynamics of the communities we work with. 

It’s about finding the spot where monitoring methods meet scientific quality standards while being practical and feasible for those working directly in the field. The aim is that data collection is accurate, reliable, relevant, and done in a way that respects and responds to the needs of People Who Use Drugs, being meaningful to the communities we serve.

To respond to this challenge, C-EHRN will comprehensively review our monitoring methodology this year. The objective is to develop an enhanced monitoring framework and a set of indicators linking to HCV and essential harm reduction services.  This new framework will allow longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons. An external scientific expert will support this review in close cooperation with our internal monitoring team, the focal points, and the scientific advisory board.

Challenge 2: Limited resources for monitoring

The data collection for the Civil Society Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe is realised with the support of the Focal Points (FP), members of the C-EHRN. They are the backbone of the monitoring and our network, serving as national reference points for gathering data and information about harm reduction-related issues.

Our Focal Points collect data on a voluntary basis, which is time-consuming and comes on top of their regular work, requiring commitment from both the individual Focal Points and the related organization, which is willing to support and invest additional resources. Therefore, resource constraints are a serious obstacle, impeding the scalability and sustainability of monitoring efforts.

The Focal Points also value their role as Focal Points, as being a Focal Point is more than collecting data and information:

Challenge 3: Sustainability of the Monitoring 

Ensuring the longevity of monitoring initiatives requires diversifying funding streams and exploring alternative financing avenues. C-EHRN is supported by an Operating Grant from the EU4Health Programme, which has provided us with the means and resources to develop and implement network and monitoring activities in the past years. Although we hope for continued financial support, this remains uncertain. Against the backdrop of uncertain financial landscapes, the imperative of sustainable funding mechanisms cannot be overstated.

Challenge 4: Disseminating findings to the policy level

The dissemination of findings to the policy level emerges as a pivotal imperative. Beyond data collection, the ultimate goal is to effectuate policy change, bridging the gap between research outcomes and actionable policy insights. We aim to shed light on gaps in service delivery and emerging drug trends, ultimately driving positive change in policies and practices.

C-EHRN recognises that many of our focal points and members may not have the resources or expertise for advocacy work. This is why we are rolling out an Advocacy Mentorship Programme in 2024, an initiative providing support and training to effectively advocate for policy change at both local and national levels. From webinars to face-to-face trainings, we’re committed to building the advocacy skills of our community members.

In addition, we are launching a city initiative to foster collaboration and support between cities, policymakers, civil society representatives, and affected communities. This platform will serve as a space to address local challenges, explore practical solutions, and promote innovative drug policy approaches. By working together, we can amplify our advocacy efforts and drive real change in communities across Europe.

 

Stay tuned for the streaming of the session and delve deeper into the discourse shaping the global response to hepatitis! On this note, we’d also like to bring to your attention the Global hepatitis report 2024: action for access in low- and middle-income countries, launched by the World Health Organization on the 9th of April, which you can access here.

C-EHRN Activity Report 2023 – Summary of Activities and Impact

C-EHRN is proud and grateful to present its 2023 Network Report, providing a summarised version of the activities undertaken last year. In this document, we are looking back at a year full of tasks, challenges and opportunities.

Call for Abstracts – 6th European Harm Reduction Conference

The European Harm Reduction Conference 2024 invites researchers, practitioners, policymakers, activists, and advocates to submit abstracts for presentations, workshops, and discussions across various tracks to advance harm reduction efforts in Europe and beyond. The conference will be held in Warsaw and will provide a platform for sharing knowledge, experiences, and innovative approaches to harm reduction. 

Under the overarching Conference Theme “Putting People First – Empowering communities and driving innovation”, the conference aims to not only reflect on the progress made but also to move us forward by exploring innovative approaches, fostering collaboration, and sharing knowledge and experiences that will shape the future of harm reduction in Europe and beyond.

We encourage reflective, innovative submissions that offer pragmatic solutions to the challenges faced in our field. This conference is your platform to share original research findings, best practice case studies, and theoretical analyses and discuss the challenges and solutions related to service delivery, advocacy, policy action, and more.

Abstract Submission Deadline: 12 May 2024
Please read the Abstract Guideline carefully before submitting an abstract. For more information, visit the conference website.

Drug Policy Manifesto for the 2024 European Parliament Elections

For a drug policy that makes Europe safer, healthier, and more just

Despite billions spent in drug control, European drug policies have failed to protect the health and safety of our communities.

Drug use is reaching historical records. New substances are entering the EU market every year. War-on-drugs policies have been unable to stop the growing power of organised crime. Evidence shows that prevention, treatment, and harm reduction are necessary to save lives and protect our communities, but services for people who use drugs lack resources and political support.

The 2024 European elections must bring a paradigm shift. This manifesto lays down a vision for a pragmatic, innovative, and human rights-centred European drug policy that will deliver healthier and safer communities. We invite all European civil society organizations, parties, and candidates to endorse the following calls to action.

Together, we will build a drug policy that prepares Europe for the future.

#FutureDrugPolicyEU24

Open To Everyone, Initiated by Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network, NEWNet Enjoying Safer Nightlife.

 

SIGN AND DOWNLOAD THE MANIFESTO

Also in 🇫🇷, 🇨🇿, 🇮🇹, 🇪🇸, 🇩🇪, 🇭🇺, 🇷🇴, 🇱🇹, 🇪🇪, 🇲🇪.

 

The Principle of the Drug Policy Manifesto:

Ramp up investment in health and social care

Drug use in Europe is at record levels, and the growing presence of new psychoactive substances, including synthetic opioids, has raised the alarm. Law enforcement and drug control will not stop this new threat, just as they have failed in other regions of the world. To be prepared for the future, the EU institutions must prioritise support and funding for integrated health and care services that are proven to work. A focus on services that support, rather than punish, people who use drugs is necessary to save lives and keep communities safe.

EU drug policy must be rebalanced, ending the current prioritisation of law enforcement over health. The EU institutions must ramp up investment and support for selective and indicated prevention programmes, evidence-informed voluntary treatment, life-saving harm reduction (including HIV/AIDS and HCV prevention, opioid assisted treatment, take-home naloxone, drug checking services, and drug consumption rooms), and community-based and community-led services that can reach out to everyone in need.

Abandon war-on-drugs policies

It is time to abandon war-on-drugs policies that, despite costing billions, have failed to reduce the size of illegal drug markets, to curb the power of organised crime or to reduce violence. Policies and narratives that stigmatise and blame people who use drugs and marginalised communities must be replaced with interventions grounded in evidence, inclusion, and human rights.

To ensure an integrated, holistic, and intersectional approach to drugs, EU health bodies must have a pivotal role in shaping EU drug policy. Drug policy must be mainstreamed across social, health and economic policies, and not be left at the hands of law enforcement alone.

The EU institutions must mainstream an inclusive, human rights and gender-based approach to drugs, including an unequivocal support for the decriminalisation of people who use drugs as a measure to remove stigma and improve access to services.

The new EU Drugs Agency must create indicators that monitor the effectiveness and impact of current drug policy approaches such as crime prevention and demand and harm reduction, including on stigma, access to services, and human rights, and conduct more policy-oriented research. EU bodies mandated to uphold human rights, EU values and the rule of law must also be involved.

Ensure civil society and community participation

A safer and more effective drug policy requires the involvement of civil society organizations that work every day with communities, can reach out to vulnerable populations, and are best informed of new trends in drug markets. EU drug policy must reflect the principle ‘nothing about us without us’, involving first and foremost affected communities and people who use drugs.

Mechanisms for civil society participation in EU drug policy, including the Civil Society Forum on Drugs in the EU, should be appropriately funded, supported, and meaningfully consulted by the European Commission, the EU Drugs Agency, and all relevant EU institutions. They should include representatives of affected communities, including people who use drugs, young people, women, and those disproportionately affected by criminalisation, stigma, and discrimination.

Explore innovative approaches, including responsible regulation

A pragmatic drug policy requires exploring innovative approaches to drug markets, including the responsible regulation of drugs such as cannabis, as a key measure to protect the health and human rights of communities, and reduce the power of organized crime. The EU should facilitate these innovations, and monitor their impact on health, safety, and human rights.

European policy makers must ensure that European laws and policies facilitate the adoption of innovative approaches to drug markets, including responsible regulation. The EU Drugs Agency should monitor the impact of drug policies and regulation, to allow for evidence-informed policy making. This will support mutual learning, increase uptake of best practices, contribute to pragmatic solutions, and prepare Europe for the future.

Already signed by…

Politicians & Decision-Makers

BELGIUM:
Bart Staes (MEP, Flemish Greens – Groen)

Saskia Bricmont (MEP, Ecolo / Greens/EFA)

Estelle Ceulemans (MEP candidate, PS – Parti Socialiste)

Matthieu Liessens (MEP candidate, PS – Parti Socialiste)

Yvan Verougstraete (MEP candidate, Les Engagés)

 

FINLAND:
Merja Kyllonen (MEP, Left Alliance)

 

FRANCE:

Alexandre Feltz (Deputy Mayor, Strasbourg)

Dominique Broc (Member of the Mairie de Chenevelles City Council)

 

GERMANY:
Kirsten Kappert-Gonther (Member of national parliament, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)

 

IRELAND:
Luke Ming Flanagan (MEP, The Left group in the European Parliament)

Graham de Barra (MEP Candidate, Independent)

 

ITALY:

Massimiliano Smeriglio (MEP, Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra)

Luca Boccoli (MEP candidate, Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra)

Giuditta Pini (MEP candidate, Partito Democratico)

Andrea John Dejanaz (MEP candidate, Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra)

Luca Fella Trapanese (Councillor for Social Policies, City of Naples, Italy)    

Jacopo Rosatelli (Councillor for Health and Social Affairs, City of Turin, Italy)

Paolo Ticozzi (Member of the Venice City Council / Partito Democratico, Italy) 

 

LUXEMBOURG:
Clement Sven (Member of National Parliament, Luxembourg)

Daniel Silva (MEP candidate, Volt Luxembourg)

Philippe Schannes (MEP candidate, Volt Luxembourg)

Conny Jaroni (MEP candidate, Greens/EFA & Volt Europa)

 

MALTA:
Sandra Gauci (MEP candidate, ADPD Green Party, Malta)

Civil Society Organisations:

Almost 300 CSOs from the following countries have signed the Manifesto.

AUSTRIA:

Koje | taktisch klug

Students for Sensible Drug Policy International

InnovaDrug

Suchthilfe Wien

 

BELGIUM:
Modus Vivendi

European AIDS Treatment Group

Ex Aequo

Projet Lama centre psycho-médico-social

VAD

ARAS Romanian Association Against AIDS

Médecins du Monde Belgium - Dokters van de Wereld

Smart on Drugs

Free Clinic vzw

Odas Coordination

ASBL SOLAIX

ESPAS

CGG Noord-West-Vlaanderen

CAW de Kempen de Lange Gaank

Fedito wallonne

Gig (Health Promotion in Injecting Drug Use)

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA:
The Chronic Viral Hepatitis Patients Association - B18

 

BRAZIL:

Rede Brasileira De Redução de Danos e Direitos Humanos

Plataforma Brasileira de Política de Drogas

 

BULGARIA:

Dose of Love Association

 

CANADA:
CAPUD - Canadian Network of People Who Use Drugs

Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec

 

CATALUNYA:
Episteme. Investigació i Intervenció Social

Associacio Canaan-Pla De L'Estany

 

CROATIA:
Alternation Association

Life Quality Improvement Organisation FLIGHT

 

CZECHIA:
Asociace poskytovatelů adiktologických služeb, z.s.

SANANIM z.ú.

PREVENT 99, z.ú.

Kolpingovo dílo České republiky z.s.

Prostor plus, o.p.s.

Centrum sociálních služeb Praha

Association Of Social Care Providers Of Czechia

KOTEC o. p. s.

Středisko křesťanské pomoci Plzeň

Společnost Podané ruce, o.p.s.

Institut for Rational Addiction Policy (IRAP)

ANA, z.ú.

P-centrum, spolek

Kontaktní centrum  - víceúčelová drogová služba

Darmoděj z.ú.

Unie LZZ

Zařízení sociální intervence Kladno

CYPRUS:
RESET - Research and Education in Social Empowerment and Transformation

 

DENMARK:
HealthTeam for the Homeless and Health in Front

Brugernes Akademi

 

ESTONIA:
Estonian Association of People Using Psychotropic Substances "LUNEST"

Lunest

MTÜ Ööhaldjad

 

FINLAND:
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

Humaania päihdepolitiikkaa ry

 

FRANCE:
Global commission on drug policy

RdR:RefletsduReel - Asud auto-support usagers de drogues

Fédération Addiction

AIDES

Association GrEID

Association Bus 31/32

ENCOD

ASUD

Sovape

NORML France

Forum Drugs Mediterranean-FAAAT

Techno Plus

CAARUD Lou Passagin

AEP

APSA 30

RdR:RefletsduReel

CSAPA BLANNAVES

Underground

FEDERATION ADDICTION

Association ITHAQUE

CSAPA BLANNAVES

Csapa OPPELIA

Sara Logisol

Nautilus RdR

Techno+

ithaque

Littoral Prévention Initiatives

Act Up Sud-Ouest

Nautilus

Freeparty

Addiction

Keep Smiling

CSAPA Soléa

Psychonaut

PlaySafe Paris, Paris LGBT

Culture Drogues

Psychonaut.fr

Afder.org & Old Timers Recovery un homme

Drogues et Société

L'Amicale RDR

Nouvelle Aube

Groupement Addiction Franche Comté

Health Without Barriers

Collectif Ensemble Limitons les Risques

Les Insoumis

Fédération addiction

SIDA Paroles 78

SOS Addictions

 

GEORGIA:
Eurasian Movement for the Right to Health in Prisons

 

GERMANY:
#MyBrainMyChoice Initiative

Fixpunkt e. V.

Akzept e.V. - Bundesverband für akzeptierende Drogenarbeit und humane Drogenpolitik

Basis - Beratung, Arbeit, Jugend und Kultur e.V.

Jugend und Kulturverein Halle e.V.

SONICS e.V.

Drug Scouts

Chill out e.V.

VIVID e.V.

Akzept e.V.

Audshilfe Dortund e. v.

Palette gGmbH

Integrative Drogenhilfe e.V.

Paritätischer Landesverband Hessen

IDH

BASIS-Projekt, basis&woge e.V.

Integrative Drogenhilfe e.V

Verein für Integration und Suchthilfe e.V.

Deutsche Aidshilfe

Aids Hilfe Frankfurt

 

GREECE:
Steps Non-Profit

PRAKSIS

Steps

PeerNUPS

Positive Voice

Self-organizing Initiatives for People who Use Drugs

 

HUNGARY:

Rights Reporter Foundation

INDIT Közalapítvány Bulisegély Szolgálat

Daath.hu - Hungarian Psychedelic Community

ELTE PPK; Behavioural Research Social Sciences and Services Ltd

Dát 2 Psy Help

Blue Point Drug Outpatient Centre

INDONESIA:
GAMMA Indonesia

 

ICELAND:
Matthildur, harm reduction organization

 

IRELAND:

Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign

Ana Liffey Drug Project

Help Not Harm

Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign

Rialto Community Drug Team

UISCE

Walkinstown Greenhills Resource Centre

Daish Project

Ballyfermot Advance Project CLG

Addiction Response Crumlin

Youth Workers Against Prohibition

RADE CLG

Kilbarrack Coast Community Programme

SURIA/Euronpud

 

ITALY:

LILA - Italyn League for Fighting AIDS

Forum Prävention - streetlife.bz

L' Isola di Arran

Forum Droghe

Parsec NGO

Lab57 - Alchemica, Bologna

NADIR ETS

LILA Onlus - Lega Italyna per la Lotta contro l'AIDS

L'isola di Arran ODV

Itanpud

ITANPUD APS

Itanpud

Itanpud

Chemical Sisters

Antigone onlus

CNCA - Coordinamento Nazionale Comunità di Accoglienza

ARCI

CGIL

ITARdD Itałian Harm Reduction Network

Gesco consorzio di cooperative sociali

la Società della Ragione

Substantia

 

LITHUANIA:
Eurasian harm reduction association (EHRA)

Support foundation "RIGRA"

Association of HIV affected women and their families

Support foundation "RIGRA"

Young Wave

NGO "Gilės sodas"

Coalition "I Can Live"

 

LUXEMBOURG:
4motion asbl. / PIPAPO

 

MALTA:
Harm Reduction Malta

Releaf Malta

MONTENEGRO:
NGO Juventas

Crnogorska mreža za smanjenje štete LINK / Montenegrin Harm Reduction Network LINK

 

NETHERLANDS:
Belangenvereniging Druggebruikers MDHG

Mainline

Legalize NL

LEAP NL

De Regenboog Groep

VOC (Union for the abolition of cannabis prohibition)

Harm Reduction Network/Trimbos Institute

 

NORWAY:

Association for Humane Drug Policy

Safer Youth

proLAR Nett

The Norwegian Association for Humane Drug Policy

 

POLAND:
PREKURSOR Foundation for Social Policy

Youth Organisations for Drug Action

 

PORTUGAL:
Médicos do Mundo

CASO

Kosmicare

MANAS/ GAT Portugal/ EuroNPUD

Associação Existências

Associação "Ninguém Pode Ficar Para Trás"- Porto Solidário 20

Acompanha, CRL

 

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA:
PULS COMUNITAR

 

ROMANIA:
ARAS - Romanian Association Against AIDS

Romanian Harm Reduction Network

Fundatia PARADA

Sens Pozitiv Association

ALIAT

 

SCOTLAND:

Scottish Drugs Forum

Crew 2000 Scotland

 

SERBIA:

Drug Policy Network South East Europe

NGO Re Generation

 

SLOVAKIA:
Odyseus

 

SLOVENIA:

Društvo SVIT Koper

Association SKUC

Društvo AREAL

Association DrogArt

Zveza NVO na področju drog in zasvojenosti

Association For Harm Reduction Stigma

 

SPAIN:
Governance Research Center - University of Salamanca

Asociación Stop SIDA

Metzineres SCCL

Kykeon Analytics

UNAD

Grupo de Trabajo sobre Tratamientos del VIH (gTt-VIH)

ICEERS - International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service

Sociedad Clínica de Endocannabinología (SCE)

ARAIS

Asociación Amaina

Asociación Proyecto Hogar

Colectivo De Prevención E Incorporación CEPA

Asocación Progestión

ALAT

Federación Andaluza ENLACE

Asociación Punto OMega

Asociaciación Bienestar y Desarrollo

Asociación para la Prevención y Estudio de las Adicciones (APRET)

Fundacion Erguete-Integracion

Asociación Noesso

Asociación Bidesari

Fundación Ambit Prevencio

Asociación DESAL

Kykeon Analytics

 

SWEDEN:
Safe Haven Sweden

 

SWITZERLAND:
Groupement Romand d'Études des Addictions, GREA

Infodrog

ARUD Suchtzentrum

 

UKRAINE:
Alliance For Public Health (Drugstore Project)

ГОЗахідний  Ресурсний центр Волна-Захід / Western Resource Center of All-Ukrainian Association of People with Drug Addiction

VOLNa всеукраїнське об'єднання людей з наркозалежністю / Charity Organization "All-Ukrainian Association of People with Drug Addiction (VOLNA)"

Charitable Foundation "Second Life"

 

UNITED KINGDOM:

ReShape/International HIV Partnerships

Asociación Punto OMega

Psycare UK

Benzo Research Project

Newcastle University

PostScript360

WALES:
Barod

EUROPE/GLOBAL:
EuroNPUD

Coalition PLUS

Youth RISE

European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance (ESWA)

D2 INNOLAB- Global Innovation Lab on Drug Policy & Sustainable Development - Global 

AUSTRALIA:
AIVL

ECUADOR:
Anandamind

Parametria

 

FRENCH GUYANA:
Association guyanaise de réduction des risques (AGRRR)

NEPAL:
Recovering Nepal

SENEGAL:
Alliance Nationale des Communauté pour la Santé (ANCS)

 

 
And 150+ drug policy experts, researchers, healthcare professionals, citizens & activists...

Join the side events at the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs!

We would like to highlight 3 side events, one on drug consumption rooms, organised by De Regenboog Groep, with C-EHRN, the European Network of Drug Consumption Rooms and ICAD as co-sponsors, and the other 2, on civil society’s role in monitoring drug policy and on the incorporation of social justice into harm reduction, organised with the support and participation of our Network.

Empowering Voices: Civil Society’s Role in Monitoring and Evaluation of Drug Policy

19 March 2024, 14:10-15:00 [CET]
Room M0E07

Civil society organisations play an essential role in monitoring drug policy and drug-related services, providing ground-level insights that complement and expand the knowledge generated by the governments and international organisations. By being more connected with people who use drugs, and advocating for the rights of affected communities, they bridge the gap between policy and practice, contributing to the development of more effective, humane, and realistic drug policies.

This side event will highlight the crucial role of civil society in monitoring drug trends and drug-related services and the added value civil society brings to the policy-making process through its monitoring activities. This event also aims to underscore the effectiveness of networking among civil society organisations, highlighting their capacity to systematically monitor essential, field-derived data.

Speakers:
Dr Mireia Ventura, Drug checking services coordinator, Trans European Drug Information network [TEDI] – NEW Net; Acción, Bienestar y Desarrollo [ABD] – Energy Control
Dr Iga Jeziorska, Senior Researcher, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network [C-EHRN]
Susanna Ronconi, Researcher, Forum Droghe
Danilo Ballotta, Principal Policy Analyst, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction [EMCDDA]

Chair & Moderator: Stéphane Leclercq, Director, Fédération bruxelloise des institutions pour toxicomanes [FEDA BXL]

Download the flyer

Drug Consumption Rooms in Europe – Between Health & Safety

21st of March, 09:10h [CET]
Hybrid Location: Room M0E100 & Online
You can join the event via this Zoom link.

For more than 30 years, Drug Consumption Rooms (DCRs) have been implemented in Western countries, generating a substantial body of practical experience and research that evidences their effectiveness in achieving public health and safety goals and contributing to the well-being of people who use drugs. However, the scale and breadth of their global implementation still vary significantly. This side event aims to contribute to an informed discussion about DCRs by presenting the available evidence, reviewing the various models being adopted and their characteristics, as well as (legal) preconditions and considerations that would allow this public health service to be integrated in a balanced continuum of drug policy initiatives.

Speakers:
Dr. João Castel-Branco Goulão, Director General of the Portuguese Institute on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies [ICAD]
Dr. Blanca Iciar Indave Ruiz, Scientific Agent of the Support to Practice Sector at the Public Health Unit of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction [EMCDDA]
Mx. Roberto Perez Gayo, Head of Policy at Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network [C-EHRN] and Coordinator of the European Network of Drug Consumption Rooms [ENDCR]
Mr. Hugo Faria, Team Manager at Associação Ares do Pinhal

Chair & Moderator: Ms. Katrin Shiffer, Director of Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network [C-EHRN] and Head of the International Department of Stichting De Regenboog Groep.

Download the flyer
 

The Incorporation of Social Justice Into Harm Reduction, an Essential Step

22 March, 13:00 [CET]
Room M0E100
Organized by the ABD Associació Benestar I Desenvolupament

Harm reduction is consolidated worldwide as an effective public health strategy in substance use.

Through the example of Spain with experience of more than 40 years, the main of this Side is to make visible the importance of (re)incorporating the perspective of social justice to strengthen health and social protection systems, while integrating and stimulating the participation, learning and leadership of the communities themselves.

Ester Aranda Rodríguez, Director of Harm Reduction in ABD and researcher in UNAD.
Juan Fernández Ochoa, Campaigns and Communications Officer at IDPC. Global coordinator of the Support Don’t Punish campaign.
Roberto Pérez Gayo, Head of Policy at Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network [C-EHRN] and Coordinator of the European Network of Drug Consumption Rooms [ENDCR]
Aura Roig Fortaleza, Founder Director of Metzineres and international advisor on drug policy, harm reduction, human rights and gender

Chair & Moderator:
Constanza Sánchez Avilés, Law, Policy and Human Rights Director at ICEERS

Download the flyer

Recording – Roundup Webinar | Civil Society Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe

 

The video is the recording of the webinar organised to celebrate the core publications for the C-EHRN Civil Society-led Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe that took place on the 7th of March.

The event brought together four volumes of the 2023 Data Report:


Moderator: Rafaela Rigoni (C-EHRN)

Speakers:
Iga Jeziorska (C-EHRN) – Essential Harm Reduction Services
Tuukka Tammi (THL) – Eliminating Hepatitis C in Europe
Daan van der Gouwe (Trimbos) – New Drug Trends
Guy Jones (TEDI) – Drug Checking Observations and European Drug Checking Trends via TEDI

 
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.