EURAD Drug Policy

The Third Way against drugs

EURAD advocates a humane restrictive drug policy of prevention and early intervention called The Third Way. The EURAD Third Way drug policy is humane towards mankind, but restrictive towards drugs. EURAD considers all non-medical use of drugs (controlled substances) to be drug abuse.

The EURAD drug policy is called The Third Way because discussions about drugs have tended to concentrate hitherto on two other main standpoints. The Third Way recognises the importance of The First Way to a certain degree but rejects the philosophy that this is the only or the most important way to eradicate drug abuse.

EURAD totally rejects The Second Way.

EURAD requests politicians at all levels to consider a combination of The First Way and The Third Way when dealing with drug abuse problems in their communities and countries.

The First Way

The FIRST of these standpoints is based upon the belief that the market for drugs can be combated by more or less unilateral police and military actions against gangs and syndicates at the supply end of the market.
This FIRST Way is doomed to failure. Not only because it will get more costly to conduct, it will also be 'overwhelmed' by the force of the market: consumer demand for drugs. EURAD agrees with Andres Pastrana, Mayor of Bogotá in Columbia when he stated that if you arrest one trafficker, there are 20 more waiting to go into the business, and 500 more behind them. The profits are simply so big in this business that there will always be someone taking the risk to supply the craving demand.
If one examines the pyramid of drug traffic, it can be quickly seen that the drug consumer is supporting the suppliers with their constant demand. The drug users hold up the whole market. Another problem by waging war only against the suppliers is that one may have to take troops inside the borders of other nations which is not advisable for obvious reasons.

War against Drug Barons, drug crop eradication and substitution should always be carried out by the nations themselves. At best, we can give support through international organisations like the UN.

There is also very little hope that crop compensation programmes will have any success at all. Even if they were 100% successful, all of the drugs used today could be cultivated or easily manufactured within the consumer countries.

EURAD states that all countries trying to fight their own drug cartels and trying to stop drug production, should be given international support. EURAD shares one of the basic views of The First Way, namely that drugs are harmful and must be stopped.

The Second Way

Never failing to point out the shortcomings of The First Way, The Second Way thinks the 'solution' is exactly the opposite to The First Way, namely legalisation of the illegal drugs. The advocates of legalisation support anti-prohibition and decriminalisation policies.
The anti-prohibitionists tend to forget that their policy will open the floodgates of a growing market. We have learnt from history that removing regulations on a drug, thereby giving the idea that it is OK to use this drug, will most likely cause an epidemic.

The anti-prohibitionists also tend to forget that the merchandise of this market has the power of creating addiction. This means faithful customers coming back again and again. The anti-prohibitionists claim that legalisation will drive the Drug Barons out of business by making the whole trade legal. They ignore the fact that the Drug Barons, already now having control of the whole chain form cultivation to street dealers, will be able to take over the legalised market overnight. They will have a worldwide monopoly form the start! Does anybody think that the Drug Barons will voluntarily give up their booming source of income, irrespective of whether it is legal or not?

"We conclude that the legalisation of Heroin or Cocaine is out of the question because the increased availability of such drugs is likely to increase the number of addicts." (Page 52, para. 121. Committee of Inquiry into the Drugs problem in the Member States of the Community: European Parliament Report, September 1986).

The Second Way strategy, like The First Way strategy, will cost incalculable amounts. Society will have to pour money into dealing with the consequences of increased drug addiction. Increased costs for care, treatment and rehabilitation for the drug users. Increased costs for the victims of drug use in terms of loss of productivity, road accidents, violence, rape, child abuse and other crimes and costs for protection of society in terms of law enforcement and prison costs.
In short; The Second Way policies in all its form of anti-prohibition, decriminalisation and toleration are dangerous and defeatist policies.

The Third Way

EURAD emphasizes a demand reduction strategy concentrating on the individual user. This can only be done by a combination of support to the individual and resistance to drug abuse.

The primary goal is to prevent individuals from using drugs but failing that to ensure early discovery and intervention.

EURAD considers the individual drug user to be the force of the entire drugs market, both as consumer and as one who spreads his habit to his friends.

To clarify The Third Way policy, the following example visualises the whole idea:

The drug abuse career can be described as a 'downhill-race'. After the debut, the drug abuser has a period where s/he experiences euphoric and well-being effects of the drug. S/he thinks drug taking is wonderful, sees no damage and looks upon her/himself as a moderate, occasional user. This stage is so pleasant that it is called 'The Honeymoon' of drug abuse. During this stage, the abuser is spreading her/his habit to her/his best friends. Not to hurt them, but to make them share what s/he thinks is the highlight of life. The introduction of friends into drug abuse usually takes place during the first 1-2 years of abuse.

Later in the drug abuse career, some ill effects start to show. This usually takes some time, and before that the abuser in many cases gets addicted to the drug. This means s/he has great difficulty in kicking the habit by her/his own will. S/he might realise what is happening, but is still unable to curb the drug slope.

Later in the career, the negative effects dominate. S/he now sees no 'fun' or 'excitement' in taking drugs. S/he is doing it merely "to keep her/his nose above the water-line". The outside world might also put pressure on the abuser, thereby supporting the abusers growing motivation to stop using drugs. Motivation usually occurs after many years of abuse, when the negative effects by far overrule the previous good effects. There is a saying the "abuser must hit the bottom before he wants to stop". EURAD finds it inhumane to passively wait for this motivation to occur.

Why the Third Way Policy?

The overall aim is to prevent drug abuse and support families with drug problems.

1. EURAD emphasises the role of parents and families at all stages of intervention: Thus utilising their valuable experience and concern.
2. If drugs debut is made, adults must know signs of early stage of abuse, thereby discovering and intervening as early as possible, to save the one in question.
3. If intervention occurs at an early stage of drug abuse, minor action is necessary. Home and community-based actions should link up with a clear message of no use of illegal drugs at any time of place.
4. If everybody gets a small but important task in fighting drugs, we can help each other! It is the ordinary people, supported by professionals, that will make the difference! Sport clubs, work places, schools, churches and homes must react to drug use.
5. EURAD advocates early intervention because we care abut the individual abuser, but also because we care about the friend s/he is spreading the habit to. We want to intervene BEFORE this spreading takes place. Rehabilitation programmes have little or no effect on the society as a whole: the spreading of abuse in the community takes place years before the addict goes into treatment. Treatment can be of priceless value to the individual, but should be considered as a last resort. Besides, rehabilitation programmes never can give any form of guarantee of success. In many cases, addiction is so strong that it beats even high-professional treatment.
6. Early intervention means we save the family and close friends of the addict. They always suffer badly when someone they love destroy themselves. Countless sleepless night, economic trouble, divorces, etc. can be saved if the drugs career is stopped early.
7. Early intervention also means that addiction never gets a chance to get a grip on the person. This is a very important argument. If intervention occurs before addiction has taken place, the whole procedure of stopping is just so much simpler.
8. Early intervention is cheap. The worse problem has been allowed to grow, the more expensive it is to solve. Treatment centres, prisons, hospitals cost tremendous amounts of money to run.
9. SUM-UP: EURAD THIRD WAY POLICY with early intervention is cheap, gives a role for everybody and is humane.

OK, BUT HOW....?

The Third Way in practice is based on two fundamental theories of SUPPORT and RESISTANCE.

Support in Theory

SUPPORT in that all adults, families and abusers should be entitled to drug prevention, i.e. information, facts, advice and treatment.

Families with drug users in the family need support and understanding - in brief, social consciousness and concern commencing at the home and community level.

Support in Practice

Drug prevention is the key. The basis of prevention is KNOWLEDGE. Adults must seek the facts from reliable professionals, libraries, anti-drug organisations, etc. Adults must encourage schools to include drug prevention in school curriculum. Both adults and youth must have uptodate information about drugs: what they look like, the effect of drugs on the consumer, how to detect the early signs of drug abuse.
Families of drug users should seek SUPPORT from professionals or self-help groups. Courses and group therapy should be available. Family involvement is essential.

EURAD organisations contribute to the distribution of these facts. EURAD can help you by giving addresses of persons and organisations in your countries who can provide you with brochure, booklets, videos, etc.

Resistance in Theory

RESISTANCE by parents, social worker, youth workers, teachers, church leaders, police, etc. in the form of education and of constant vigilance and interference in the street trade to intervene at all levels of private consumption.

Not everyone who tries drugs develops dependence and becomes an addict. Tragically, all too many do. The drugs market must therefore be continuously subjected to disturbance at all levels to make the risk of discovery great and to make people refrain from experimenting with drugs.

Resistance in Practice

RESISTANCE to drug use can be implemented be EARLY INTERVENTION. Early intervention is first based on knowledge (see Drug prevention above). However, it is also based on adults, interest in youth. The first and maybe the most important frontline of resistance is formed by ordinary adults. They are the ones who should react if they suspect drug abuse. If the adults close to a youth intervenes early, they are most likely to be able to stop the drug career, thereby saving the youth from trouble, both with their health and with the law.

RESISTANCE is also closely connected with DISCOVERY. Consequently it is important that parent, school and church organisations, leisure centres, social authorities and the police try to co-operate in order to detect abuse at an early stage.

Many adults ask themselves how to find out if someone has 'tested' drugs. With alcohol a normal sense of smell is of course enough. But is somebody has used e.g. hashish it will be considered more difficult. Adults must learn to put together a puzzle. This puzzle consists of physical signs in combination with the change of behaviour of youngsters.

The late Prof. N. Bejerot, MD, from Sweden, founder of the EURAD policy, summed it up in a lecture at the PRIDE Conference, Atlanta in April 1988 form which we quote:
"The situation need not to be regarded as hopeless. The problem is not due to obscure goals. The narcotic drug conventions of the United States provide distinct guiding lines for official drug policies. Drugs may only be used for medical or scientific reasons. All other use, including recreational consumption, is forbidden and should in principle be stopped. Every country may choose suitable methods of its own to ensure this outcome. Interference against drug abusers is humane if it is done in the right way. The reason or action is that drug abuse, sooner or later - usually sooner - leads to a drug dependence which is difficult to handle."

The following is a description of the practical work in the municipality of Upplands Vasby, Sweden, which illustrates the theories of the EURAD THIRD WORLD POLICY of SUPPORT AND RESISTANCE

Communal political action program against drug abuse

Step 1: if an adult suspects abuse, it is always better to ask once too often than too seldom. Because, even if you have misjudged the situation, the youngster will understand that you are interested and prepared to intervene. Inquisitiveness thus has a certain preventive effect.

Step 2: If it happens that drug abuse is discovered in the home, at school or at the leisure centre it is of utmost importance that the seriousness of the matter should be emphasized and the problem should not be hushed up or covered up.

The person who discovers abuse must always contact the parents and inform them of what has happened. At this stage it is important to make it clear to the youngsters that you are not going to tolerate a continued abuse. There are two reasons for this: partly that you like young people and care for their future, partly that you are afraid that the abuse will spread to their friends.

Step 3: In case the youngster should not understand the seriousness and realise the consequences of the abuse, the parents, the school or the recreational centre must contact the social authorities. They must help in this situation. It may be enough that the social worker together with the youngster and the parents analyse the situation and clearly state that the social authorities will be forced to take further measures if the abuse is not stopped.

By now most youngsters will probably realise the seriousness and the risks with a continued abuse and will break with the drug taking for good. Everybody will not. A few will continue in spite of the conversation and the warning.

Step 4: If the mentioned measures are ineffective, the social authorities shall appoint a contact person (supervisor). The person shall act, partly as support but also have a controlling function and assure himself that the abuse has ceased.

Nowadays there are also possibilities to check, by means of urine specimens, drugs in the body. Testing will give all parts involved specific information about what is going on.

Step 5: As a last measure the social authorities shall commit the abuser to public care. S/he can be placed in a foster home or a treatment centre. Here, also, the basic attitude must be that nobody has the right to continue her/his abuse. Experience shows that if the treatment centre works in co-operation with the parents, the chance to success increases.