Members access

 

Register

Forgotten password

Home >  EU Funding news >  News

Monday, June 26, 2006

World No Drugs Day 2006: Commission stresses Europe’s commitment to fight drugs trafficking and help addicts

On the occasion of the UN’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Franco Frattini, Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner for Health and Consumer protection stressed the European Commission’s commitment to international efforts to fight against drugs, support third countries through common projects and address the health dimension of drugs addiction. In the EU, over 8000 people, mainly young men in their 20s and 30s, die of a drugs overdose each year. Estimates for the total number of drugs-related deaths are thought to be as much as three times higher due to under-reporting of deaths and deaths indirectly linked to drug use due to AIDS, violence, accidents and suicide.

The EU response to these worrying trends is to develop sensible and effective European responses to reduce both demand and supply, using all means at its disposal.


EU assistance to third countries in the fight against drugs has almost doubled in the 3 last years. Projects implemented by the Member States and the European Commission in third countries amounted to over 500 millions in 2005, focussing on Afghanistan and Latin America, where support is given to alternative development projects to reduce coca production in the Andean region.

In the two first years of the present EU Public Health Programme, over 4.1 million euro were spent directly on drugs related projects. Priority is given to projects dealing with harm reduction, joint prevention programmes and best practices in drug treatment and social reintegration.

Between 3 and 3.5 million people have tried cocaine last year and 1.5 million are classified as regular users. 12 million people take cannabis, of whom 3 million take it on a more or less daily basis. Ecstasy, produced in Europe, is now the second most common drug after cannabis. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)[1], in some Member States up to 8 % of young people take it on a regular basis. Systematic and intensive mixing of drugs, often with alcohol and medicines is a growing problem and difficult to treat.

[1] The EMCDDA is a European Regulatory Agency with a budget of over 12 Million euros for 2006, financed almost exclusively by the Community. It plays a crucial role in providing the evidence base for the EU drugs policies.

Source  European Commission

linked programmes:

Also read:

Look for a grant Go Recherche avancée