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8-12-2008: EU Action Plan on Drugs approved by Member States

Thanks to adoption by the European Council in December 2008, the EU has a new 4-year Action Plan on Drugs.

The Plan wants to provide a coherent frame of intervention at EU level for the formulation, implementation and coordination of drug policies among Member States. In the area of prevention, the Plan intends to mobilise European communities and the civil society around the initiative of an European Alliance against Drugs. 

One of the Action Plan objectives invites Member States to “Provide access to health care for drug users in prison”. Particular emphasis is to be placed on follow-up care after release from prison to prevent and reduce health-related harms associated with drug abuse. 

The text of the Action Plan can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/drugs/fsj_drugs_intro_en.htm

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14-11-2008: UNODC publication on Women and HIV in prison settings

Globally, female prisoners represent about 5 per cent of the total prison population, but this proportion is increasing rapidly, particularly in countries where levels of illicit substance use are high. In 2005, worldwide, on any given date more than half a million women and girls were detained in prisons, either awaiting trial or serving sentences.
UNODC published a short report on specific threats and needs for women prisoners in the area of HIV prevention, recommending the provision of comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for women in prisons.

Click here to download the PDF version
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14-11-08: The EC publishes an experts’ report on Prevention, Treatment, and Harm Reduction Services in Prison

The report on drugs in prison, prepared by a group of German experts and recently published, summarises the current situation of drug related issues in prisons, the status quo of prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services for prisoners in the European Union as well as reintegration services for prisoners on release. Furthermore, current approaches to monitor and analyse drug use and related infectious diseases in prison have been described and analysed. 

Read more: 14-11-08: The EC publishes an experts’ report on Prevention, Treatment, and Harm Reduction Services in Prison

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10-11-08: Heroin is still a major problem within the European drug phenomenon says the EMCDDA

The newly released 2008 Report of the Lisbon based European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction refers to heroin use as a continuous serious public health issue which still accounts for a large proportion of the overall health and social costs associated with drug use and for  around 60% of those in drug treatment in Europe. 

Interesting findings relate also on trends in criminalisation of drug use and drug users in prison.

Read more: 10-11-08: Heroin is still a major problem within the European drug phenomenon says the EMCDDA

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The British National Treatment Agency publishes Good Practices in Harm Reduction

The aim of the "Good practice in Harm Reduction" report is to highlight good practice based on interviews with local drug partnerships that performed well in the reviews to identify good practice in interventions to reduce drug-related harm related to blood-borne virus and overdose.

 

 

The report is one of the outputs from Reducing Drug-Related Harm: An Action Plan, which sets out the broad streams of action to be taken in England to enhance harm reduction activities within drug treatment services.

Read more: The British National Treatment Agency publishes Good Practices in Harm Reduction

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EU Action Plan on Drugs 2009-2012 announced

At the end of September, the European Commission adopted a Communication on "An EU Drugs Action Plan for 2009-2012". The Commission proposes wide-ranging measures to strengthen European cooperation to curb drug use and its consequences and to reduce the crime related to it. 

The Action Plan 2009-2012 builds on the existing approach of the EU Drugs Strategy 2005-2012 which set out a European model for drug policy based on a balanced approach to reduce both supply and demand for drugs.  

Read more: EU Action Plan on Drugs 2009-2012 announced

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The first CONNECTIONS Training Academy takes place in Canterbury, 15-19 September 2008

15 participants from Prison Administrations, NGOs and Health Authorities from Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovenia attended the 1st Training Academy of the CONNECTION project, which took place at the University of Kent in the beautiful surroundings of Canterbury, on the week of the 15 September 2008.

Read more: The first CONNECTIONS Training Academy takes place in Canterbury, 15-19 September 2008

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