Treatment in a EU institutional context

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Treatment in a EU institutional context

• Matti Rajala
• European Commission
• SANCO C4

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DRUGS IN THE TREATY OF AMSTERDAM

• Article 152 (1) third paragraph
• "The community shall complement the MS action's
  in reducing drug-related health damage, including
  information and prevention"

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EU ACTION PLAN (2000-2004)KEY PUBLIC HEALTH
PROBLEMS

• Rise in the demand for drugs especially among
  young people
• Increase in oral drugs such as ecstasy
• Growing use of amphetamines
• Underrating of health risks
• Infectious diseases among IV drug users (HIV,
  hepatitis etc.)
• High number of drug related deaths

4
Previously

• 8 public health action programmes (1996 gt
  2002) including 1 for COMMUNITY ACTION AGAINST
  DRUGS AND DRUG DEPENDENCE
• Article 129 (Maastricht Treaty)
• Vertical programmes
• 8 programme committees

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COMMUNITY ACTION AGAINST DRUGS AND DRUG
DEPENDENCEGrant agreements1996-2002

• YEAR APPLIC. ACCEPTED AMOUNT
• 1996 91 34 6.500.000
• 1997 157 33 4.936.346
• 1998 198 33 5.094.500
• 1999 187 24 5.200.000
• 2000 128 25 5.500.000
• 2001 74 18 5.089.508
• 2002 58 17 5.100.000
• Total 893 184 37.420.354

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Now

• 1 Public health action programme (2003 gt 2008)
  including 3 strands
• Article 152 (Amsterdam Treaty)
• Horizontal programme
• 1 Programme Committee

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General objectives of each strand

• To improve information knowledge
• To enhance the capability of responding rapidly
  to health threats
• To address health determinants across all
  policies activities

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Priorities for 2003

• Nutrition physical activities
• Tobacco, alcohol, drugs
• Mental health
• Sexual reproductive health
• Environment
• Health promotion in settings and workplaces
• Training in public health,
• Injuries injury risk reduction.

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Drugs (WP 2003)

• Inventory of activities on risk reduction will
  be established in co-operation with EMCDDA
• Primary prevention priority will be given to
  proposals involving a lifestyle approach
  addressing abuse of all substances with addictive
  potential.
• Preparatory work involving an inventory of
  existing studies in the abuse of legal
  pharmaceuticals field will be undertaken.

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Drugs (WP 2004 - proposal)

• the development of the inventory of activities
  in co-operation with EMCDDA will continue
• Proposals involving a lifestyle approach
  addressing abuse of all substances with addictive
  potential, especially in recreational places
  (e.g. nightclubs) and prisons will be encouraged.
  Specific emphasis will be given to actions
  developing best practices, disseminating
  information and improving communication in these
  areas using modern communications methods.

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COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION OF 18 JUNE 2003

on the prevention and reduction of health
related harm associated with drug
dependence http//europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_
doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoclgENnumdo
c32003H0488modelguichett
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HARM REDUCTION - MESSAGE

• 1. The only safe choice is to abstain
• 2. If you do not manage to abstain, don't inject
• 3. If you do inject, be sure to use clean
  equipment
• 4. Be sure to know the content of what you take

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HARM REDUCTION - MESSAGE

• 5. Don't take drugs from a person you don't trust
• 6. Be extra careful if not sober
• 7. Don't take drugs in situations where nobody
  would care in case of accidents

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HARM REDUCTION - ACTIVITIES

• Substitution treatment
• Low threshold services
• Outreach services
• Vaccinations and screening (hepatitis, HIV,
  tuberculosis....)
• Syringe and needle exchange programmes
• --------------------------------------------------
  -
• Injection rooms (not inyet)
• Pill testing (not inyet)

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Website

• Directorate-General Health and Consumer
  Protection websitehttp//europa.eu.int/comm/heal
  th/index_en.html
• Funded projects on drugs
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_projects/drug
  _Project_en.htm