BETTER HELP According to the European Drugs and Drugs monitoring agency approximately 30% of adults in the EU have used illicit drugs at least once in their lifetime. Considering this high prevalence and the fact that the EU drug strategy expired last year, what stance should the EU adopt regarding future drug strategies? Submitted by Iva Petrešević (RS) |
TOPIC AT A GLANCE
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
KEY CONFLICTS
POLICIES APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM
WHAT NOW?
FUTHER LINKS
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
KEY CONFLICTS
POLICIES APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM
WHAT NOW?
FUTHER LINKS
TOPICS AT A GLANCE
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KEY STAKEHOLDERS, CORE CONCEPT & KEY TERMS
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
The European Union (EU) is a unique political union made of 27 EU countries, whose purpose is to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within the internal market. The main goal regarding drug use is to protect citizens by providing better security in terms of drug trafficking and helping minimise health issues caused by drug use. European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction is an agency of the EU, whose goal is to deliver factual, reliable, and comparable information about drug usage, addiction, and related health complications. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the leading authority on medical and health advice and is responsible for international and public health. WHO’s activities to counter the drug problem are prevention of drug usage, reduction of vulnerability and risks, adequate care and treatment for people with drug-related disorders, etc. |
KEY TERMS
Drug strategy sets out a plan on how the EU will take actions to tackle drug abuse, misuse, and the harms it causes at local, national, and international levels. Illicit drugs are highly addictive substances, which are illegal to make, sell, and use. Some drugs that are considered to be illicit are marijuana, cocaine, heroin, as well as many prescription drugs. Prevalence is a proportion of a particular population that has been affected by the same medical condition at a specific time frame. It is assessed through national and school surveys that consist of data on present and past drug use, knowledge, and attitudes regarding drugs or other related topics. Substance Use Disorders (SUD) are a disease that affects a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control their use of a legal or illegal drug or substances such as heroin, alcohol, marijuana and nicotine, etc. |
KEY CONFLICTS
STIGMA VS SEEKING TREATMENT
In Europe, the presence of mental illnesses associated with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) have become an important issue in drug policy and treatment provision. It comes as a result of the high prevalence of comorbidity (1), poor treatment outcomes for those affected, and the complexity of treatments. Research studies show that substance use, withdrawal symptoms and dependence, may lead to development of mental illnesses. With the stigma that has been created around both SUD and mental illnesses, those who suffer are not likely to seek help, in fear of being judged and misunderstood, which often leads to fatal consequences. (1) Comorbidity is the occurrence of two simultaneous diseases or medical conditions, i.e. substance use disorders and mental illnesses. LEGALISATION: A SOLUTION OR A CAUSE
A survey requested by Directorate-General Justice has shown that a percentage of the European population thinks that the legalisation of these substances would minimise their usage and with that, bring down the number of drug induced deaths, while another portion of the population claims the opposite. On the other hand, The European Opinion Research Group (EORG) has found that most of those who have at least tried any illicit drugs, have done that out of curiosity. Therefore, they believe that by legalising drugs, this statistic would be considerably brought down. Would legalising drugs on a national level help or would it further the situation worse? |
EDUCATION VS SUBSTANCE ABUSE A survey that was completed by 12000 randomly selected young people (aged 15-24) has shown that 41% of those questioned have been informed about drugs by a school prevention program. Another survey has shown that a big percentage of teenagers get information about drugs and harms from different sources, for example the internet, friends, parents, specialised drugs counsellors, etc. Some believe that the education provided in schools is not on a level that is serious enough, and do not see this as a possibility of a long-term solution. Could education be a better preventive measure for substance abuse if it is prioritised substantially? |
POLICY APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM
Previous objectives of the Drug Strategy
The previous Drug Strategy which was active from 2013 until 2020 had the objectives of:
The evaluation The Drug Strategy was found to be aligned with the objectives set out in other EU and Member States policies and strategies. The Strategy seems to have added the most value to newer Member States, which did not have drugs policies before their EU accession. It also added value by introducing some drug policies and cooperations to countries outside of Europe, allowing Member States to speak as one on international levels. However, there were issues that were not considered back then, such as responses to new psychoactive drugs, ongoing debates about cannabis reform, etc. Future plan The new strategy aims to ensure a high level of health promotion, social stability and security and contribute to awareness raising. It will allow researchers to be more proactive in adapting their response to shifts in the way criminals operate or the development of new substances and trends. Alongside, this strategy will use the lessons learned from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in the drugs area and will take a future-oriented approach, promoting research and innovation. |
WHAT NOW? The 2013-2020 Drug Strategy has been outdated, and the EU is looking into new solutions that would help minimise drug related problems.
FURTHER LINKSEssential Engagement
Further links
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