Meeting of the National Antidrug Coordinators of EU countries
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me welcome you on behalf of the Government of the Czech Republic to the meeting of the National anti-drug co-ordinators of EU countries here in Prague. The Czech Republic hosts for the first time such a significant forum of high level experts of administration from 27 countries of the EU. It is therefore even more of an honour for me to open your meeting.
I am Vice-chairman of the Government Council according to my Government function and status of Government Council of the Czech Republic for the co-ordination of an anti-drug policy. The National co-ordinator of an anti-drug policy and the prevention of addictions the Senior Lecturer Kamil Kalina is here today who is also the director of the Government section responsible for anti-drug policies and Executive Vice-chairman of the Council. Mr Kalina will speak after me and introduce you in more detail to the specific content of today's meeting as well as tomorrow's symposium.
My task as the Government representative of the host country is now to briefly introduce the co-ordination role of our Government Council and its mission. In the next part of the speech I will introduce you to the function of my office within the framework of the Government Administration.
The numbers of immigrant drug addicts have been on the increase during the last few months which is a big concern. Estimates indicate how extensive a problem the HIV/AIDS disease is amongst the hardcore drug users from abroad. The topic of the afternoon discussion is the problem of addiction in the context of migration and integration policies. My office operates in practice as a co-ordination body of the integration of the Roma community so I can contribute to your meeting from experience.
And now allow me to briefly talk about the philosophy and activities of our Council. The importance of our office is apparent from its position amongst other advisory bodies of the Czech Government. It consists of 8 Ministers, the Mayor of Prague Municipality, an addiction expert and representatives of non-government and non-profitable organisations. The Council is directed by the Prime Minister. The aim of our Government is to implement the long-term prevention of acute development in the area of social pathologies.
The current Czech anti-drug policy and system of its co-ordination is evaluated by European Union officials as an example of good practice. The fulfilment of a National Strategic task for the anti-drug policy between 2001-2004 contributed towards attaining concrete merits. Despite this a number of adverse and disturbing trends persist. In particular alcoholism and soft drugs used by the youth. The age of first contact with drugs has stabilised at a fixed level and the situation on the market with more dangerous substances such as heroin and amphetamines, is also considered to be stabilised thanks to long-term staff and equipment provision for a network of field contact centres and other standard social services in operation.
A National anti-drug policy developed from a strategy for 2005-2009. The Council monitors fulfilment of this strategy and presents executive and legislation character proposals to the Government for approval. The aim of the strategy is to actively involve the widest possible section of our society in activities which are directed towards the improvement of the situation concerning the use of all kinds of drugs. The strategy was prepared by more than 60 participating experts from departments and other central institutions, regions and Government and non-government service providers. It is therefore a consensual outcome of the work of administration representatives at a central and regional level and experts from the community. One of the factors for the fulfilment of the strategy is the funding entitlement which contains almost 100 million CZK this year. The Council distributes the funding amongst service providers in the area of work with addictions and prevention.
Legal definition of drugs in the Czech Republic is contained in Act No. 167/1998 Coll. on addictive substances. The strategy includes under the heading of drugs besides addictive substances, also substances which are easily accessible such as organic solvents, alcohol and tobacco which are highly tolerated and even propagated in public. The reason why the strategy is so concerned with these kinds of drugs is because of the proven relationship between alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug use and the serious consequences which drug use has in society is.
The Czech Republic proceeds from the concept of the World Health Organisation - 'Health for Everyone in the 21st Century' in dealing with drug use related problems. According to this concept, drug use presents a matter of danger to public health. Drug use in particular relates to potential negative social, health, legal, security and economic effects which may negatively affect the healthy development of individuals and society.
A complex, multidisciplinary and balanced approach is promoted by the Government of the Czech Republic as an effective strategy leading towards dealing with drug use related problems. It is an approach which stems from all parts of society, involves inter-departmental, inter-divisional and inter-sectoral co-operation at all levels and is based on a complex and balanced implementation of 3 basic strategies of modern anti-drug policy which are supported by research evidence.
These strategies reduce the offer of drugs – they control the sale and distribution of legal drugs and suppress unlawful distribution of illegal drugs, reduce demand for drugs – primary prevention, medical treatment and return into society, and reduce risks related to the drug use – harm reduction.
A condition of an effective system for anti-drug policy of the country is a co-ordinated approach and a functioning institutional environment which builds on international obligations, experience and co-operation, research, information and evaluation of implemented measures. This will ensure that only sound and tested measures and activities will be financed. The next condition is the balance between preventive and repressive approaches of anti-drug policy. Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention approaches are aimed at the most effective mode of the protection of society from damages caused by the existence of the excluded and illegal world of drug users which are dependent on the 'free market'. The existence of these unregulated and uncontrolled drug users is causing health and security risks which must be effectively prevented. It is necessary to provide services to these ill people in such a way that they would not become subjected in their vulnerable situation to criminal groups organising prostitution and further drug distribution. Only the top level of this organised crime must be dealt with the full force. Punishment for organizers of the network of sellers must be the most severe. Serious recourse must also reach those irresponsible traders who avoid the law with the sale of 'legalised drugs'.
The fundamental aim of the strategy of an anti-drug policy for our country is - to fight organised crime that is involved in unlawful drug handling and demand to abide by law in relation to the distribution of legalised drugs. Other aims include reduction of the use of all types of drugs and reduction of the potential risk and harm caused by drug use to individuals and society.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me now to briefly introduce one innovative aspect of the social inclusion concept which was brought by Topolánek's Government. According to the opinion of many experts in the field of the prevention of social exclusion and the co-ordination of activities in excluded localities we made the right choice. The Government delegated my predecessor - Dr. Džamila Stehlíková already in 2007 to create the Agency for Social Integration which can be defined as an independent legal body. This agency would co-ordinate departmental policies to ensure the most effective way of aiding the local project leaders to achieve their objectives. The task of the Agency was also to ensure that resources of structural aid were directed especially to localities endangered by social exclusion, individuals and activities that have a positive effect on the life of communities.
The Agency also operates in the field. At present there are 12 functioning local partnerships. Members are educational facilities but also Government and non-government organisations which provide social and health services including the prevention of drug-use and related harm. The Agency involves the widest possible number of institutions, social and legal child protection bodies, employment offices, property owners, police, hygienic stations and of course the key players of partnership – local administration management.
The Agency has already made an order for the processing of local studies of requirements in various localities. On the basis of these studies project intentions were developed. Projects will be initially financed from EU resources and later on they should become the responsibility of partnerships and demonstrate they sustainability. Direct anti-drug prevention is a core of the local policy in Cheb and Břeclav for example.
Within the framework of the Cheb municipality local partnership two projects of K-centre were created. The first one is concerned with the development of activities directed towards individuals endangered by social exclusion and towards the general public. The second project is directed towards prevention activities for children and youth. The aim of the projects is to gain a 5% higher proportion of service users which are endangered by social exclusion during a 10 month operation in the contact centre and in co-operation with field workers and participating staff. Designated targets include the collection of 200 anonymous tests for the content of antibodies of infectious disease HIV/AIDS from service users of contact centres in Cheb during the 10 month period. In addition to the above the aim is to organise 6 educational seminars for service users and the public on addiction issues and cleansing of the mind during a 6 month period. The aim of the second project is to organise 12 regular meetings with a group of designated individuals between 12-16 years of age which are characterised as at risk from the perspective of arising and developing social exclusion during a 6 month period.
The focus of attention in Brno is the drug addiction of children. Field social workers in Brno are determined to create an anti-drug centre for children. Two Roma police assistants have been involved with the drug addiction of children since 2006. They for example hand out contacts on addiction centres to families and give advice in schools on how to lower aggressiveness of pupils and students. Two Roma police assistants were supposed to lose their jobs this year due to the discontinuation of EU funding for the police assistance project until financial support finally came from the municipality after the Agency's action.
The Agency also undertakes research on the extent of drug misuse amongst pupils in schools with a significant proportion of Roma pupils. There are 6 schools in total in Brno - 2 Practical Primary schools and 4 Primary schools. In particular the school management of Practical Primary school which is situated in Sekaninova Street share a suspicion of the extensive presence of drugs amongst their pupils – besides 'common' types of drugs such as marijuana, heroin and pervitin there is also toluene and other volatile substances. These warnings are also confirmed by police assistants, child social security officers and police.
If the suspicion is confirmed by anonymous tests of pupils, Brno municipality is prepared to accept any measures which will lead to the correction of this situation. A child detox department should be established and also support provided to work with affected families. The results are already brought by case work with families which is co-ordinated by centres of child social security. Their work should be supported by expert services in the case of drug misuse.
General services – 'harm reduction' are provided in Brno for inhabitants of socially excluded localities by the association 'Helping Hands'. Roma people are mostly using the exchange program and substitution methadone program from the service choice.
The Agency operates also in two micro-regions besides larger and smaller municipalities. Very little research or a systematic and complex study has been done so far on the drug problem in an enclosed locality of one of the micro-regions in Jesenicko - north of Moravia. Local partners therefore prepared a project which is aimed at the mapping of drug users and providing support for them by means of field social work and involving them in integration programs. The project will be opened next week on 5.5.09 at a meeting of field workers in Jeseník.
The project follows on from the present field program. The target group is extended by all users of addictive substances and compulsive gamblers. The project is determined to collect the most information possible on target groups living at risk and to minimise possible risks for society caused by their lifestyle. The extention of the project's current service will enable staff to create a safe environment in a special supply vehicle designed for contact with a client at risk as well as safe medical testing and providing useful information. An extended service of field work operates in the area of social prevention related to misuse of addictive substances and reducing of risk regarding their use. It follows from the view that it is possible to reduce the existence of socially pathological occurrences within the region and help to involve service users in the life of their natural environment in ordinary society.
What is valuable in these projects is that they develop in continuity with established services and their community plans and that they will become part of them. This will ensure their continuity even when the Czech Republic will no longer be a recipient of generous structural aid from the European Union. Local partnership might be an effective method of the implementation of an anti-drug policy as well as an example of good practice for our next meeting.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I will now hand over to a person more experienced to talk to your highly qualified forum – my colleague Mr. Kalina. Thank you for your attention and I hope your meeting proceeds smoothly and that you find many good examples of how to deal with such a serious issue. We need good news in times of economic crisis and also a crisis of trust in our whole philosophy as well as in the world of European humanity. I do not want to use a relativist approach but let's realise that in the case of drugs and addiction we are dealing with a problem which has accompanied man since the beginning.
