17th European Federation of Therapeutic Communities (EFTC) Conference
EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel will be addressing today the 17thconference of the European Federation of Therapeutic Communities (EFTC) in Thessaloniki. The Director’s presentation at the opening session is entitled: ‘The times, they are a changin’: drug use and responses in the European Union’.
The address presents the latest findings on the drug problem in Europe and the increasing complexity of drug markets. Synthetic drugs (particularly opioids, such as fentanils) are more prevalent today, representing a significant threat to public health.
The European Union can be proud of its achievements in the areas of treatment availability, the dramatic reduction in drug-related infectious diseases (e.g. HIV) and the development of a comprehensive set of health and social responses to the drugs problem. The EU Early Warning System (EWS) on new psychoactive substances also plays a vital role in alerting Europe to the presence, and potential hazards, of new substances entering the drug market.
Despite these successes, there is still a need for vigilance and the development of new ways to address the drug phenomenon. This requires cooperation, creativity and innovation from all those working for a healthier and more secure Europe.
Mr Goosdeel will focus on a key feature of the European approach to drug problems: that drug users are considered to have a health problem and to be deserving of the same respect and rights as other citizens. Avoidance of stigma is important in ensuring that drug users do not feel abandoned by their communities.
Prior to the conference, on 18 September, Mr Goosdeel visited the Trilateral Bulgaria–Greece–Turkey contact centre, which opened in 2016. This facility allows for the exchange of information among the law-enforcement and customs authorities of the three countries, and plays a significant role in warding against drug trafficking.