Prevention works, and must work
Europe against Drugs is a European non profit drug policy Foundation that advocates for prevention and recovery oriented drug policies at national and international level.
- The bottomless misery many drug users and their families find themselves in is for an outsider impossible to grasp, Eurad president, Renee Besseling says.
- Those with a first hand experience has to join hands with concerned citizens and call for more and better prevention and treatment. That's where Eurad comes from, she says.
Optimism and realism
- Our mission is to protect both health and dignity. Its a matter of both public health, social cohesion as well as a question of what visions we have for human beings, for our society and our culture. Drug use impacts it all, Besseling says.
- Allthough well acquainted with the misery of drug use we have seen hope and we have seen successes where never thought possible. Prevention and treatment really works!
Some time ago much of the debate on drugs were overoptimistic, perhaps even naive. Optimism is necessary, but we need to remain realistic. Over the last few decades we have seen the pendelum swing back to a point where realism is verging on defateism and drug normalisation.
- Again, I think one of our main tasks these days is to get that balance right; health as well as dignity; optimism as well as realism. Difficult but possible, she says.
Mission and policy
Our mission is to reduce the burden on individuals, families and society at large by promoting comprehensive, balanced and integrated policies. We seek to reduce demand for and supply of illicit drugs through prevention (including law enforcement) and treatment.
Eurad thinks preventing harm is always better than repairing - both in terms of human suffering, effectiveness and the cost involved. Prevention and long term follow up towards recovery and rehabilitation needs a far greater emphasis on today's drug policy agenda.
Eurad emphasises the social dimension of the drug problem. The use and its related suffering and problems has predominantly social and psychosocial causes in a dynamic relationship with the drugs itself; it spreads by means of social relations. Finally, relations and social integration is vital part of recovery and rehabilitation.
Eurad is supportive of the UN drug conventions and the universal prohibition of narcotic drugs. The purpose of prohibition is not to penalise but to prevent the use of very harmful substances in society.
A third way
Eurads vision may be described as a third way between the 'war on drugs' approach and drug liberalisation. We are not against the user but the use. Our overarching purpose is not ideological, religious or cultural but rather the welfare, health and dignity of both individual and society.
Law enforcement is a vital component in drug policies but must be part of a broad strategy aimed at prevention (in supply reduction as well as demand reduction) and recovery, not a substitute for it.
Eurad thinks harm reduction has a role to play as part of a recovery and prevention oriented strategy not like today where harm reduction in many instances is replacing it. We promote a more in debt debate on the strenghts, limitations, and unintended negative consequences of harm reduction.
