Against the exclusion of the 72 Prevention Centers from the new “Drug Code”
- Target:
- Greek Government and Ministries
- Region:
- Greece
- Website:
- www.prolipsiworkers.blogspot.com
Primary prevention of drug use in Greece has been materialized mainly by the 72 Centers for the Prevention of Addictions and the Promotion of Psychosocial Health.
Prevention Centers were founded on the basis of the collaboration between Local Authorities and OKANA (Organization Against Drugs) and operate for more than 10 years, covering all 13 Administrative Regions of Greece and 49 Prefectures out of the country’s total of 51. They form a decentralized network of front-line services with the aim to provide holistic services of information, education, empowerment and support (to children and young people, parents, educators, community members and groups) and to promote the psychosocial health of local communities.
Prevention Centers are funded jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (via Local Authority resources) and they have developed strategic collaborations with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defence, offering pioneer services at minimum cost. This important contribution towards drug demand reduction and community development has been acknowledged at European level and specially mentioned at the annual reports announced by EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction) as well as at local level by community members themselves. Prevention projects are evaluated semi-annually by OKANA and reported annually by EMCDDA and EKTEPN (National Documentation and Information Centre on Drugs, for the most recent report in English, see http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/html.cfm/index111881EN.html).
It is worth mentioning that these demanding tasks are performed in under-funding conditions (for the last 6 years Prevention Centers received less than 50% of their expected funding), and understaffing conditions (at present the total staff nation-wide numbers approximately 400 people, with their ratio to the population at 1 to 25.000.)
Yet the draft bill "Drug Code”, which was brought before public consultation by the Ministry of Justice in 09/09/2011, literally “omits” all relevant articles contained in the previous legislation which provided the framework for the administrative and scientific operation of Prevention Centers and their cooperation with state institutions. We consider that this development is highly unjustifiable and that it certainly poses imminent threat to the future of the 72 Prevention Centers.
Greek version of petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CF%83%CF%85%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%86%CE%B8%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%BD-%CF%84%CE%B1-72-%CE%BA%CE%B5%CE%BD%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B1.html
It is anachronistic and dangerous to public health that the 72 Prevention Centers are excluded from the Greek Government’s addiction policies albeit admonition by the UN and verbal commitment by the Greek authorities to emphasis on Prevention.
We therefore ask all competent Institutions and the Greek State, particularly in this period of deep crisis and aggravation of psychosocial problems and addictions, that they take the following measures:
- Explicitly provide for the official certification of the 72 Prevention Centers as well as their aims and objectives and include specific provisions for their operation in the “Drug Code”.
- Finance in full, both the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Health, the operation of the 72 Prevention Centers, in accordance with the standing Programmatic Agreement.
- Form the necessary operational framework that will ensure the viability of the network of the 72 Prevention Centers and the provision of their services.
Recipients:
1). Prime Minister, Mr. Papandreou. 2). Parliamentary Parties. 3). Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Mr Papaioannou. 4). Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Kastanidis. 5). Minister of Health,, Mr Loverdos. 6). Chairman of the legislative committee, Mr Paraskevopoulos. 7) President of OKANA and member of the legislative committee, Mrs Malliori. 8). Chairman and Members of the governing board of the Central Union of Municipalities in Greece. 9). Chairman and Members of the Centres for the Prevention of Addictions and the Promotion of Psychosocial Health Monitoring Committee. 10). European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction. 11). UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Against the exclusion of the 72 Prevention Centers from the new “Drug Code” petition to Greek Government and Ministries was written by Σωματείο Εργαζομένων στα Κέντρα Πρόληψης and is in the category Law Reform at GoPetition.