Brussels, 23/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in Lisbon published two reports on 22 October. 1) the 2003 annual report: the state of the drugs problem in the European Union and Norway: this report deals with drug and alcohol consumption among the young, social exclusion and re-insertion, public spending in the area of reducing the demand for drugs. 2) Annual 2003 report: the state of the drugs problem in the acceding and candidate countries to the European Union: this report examines the consumption of drugs and alcohol among the young and infectious diseases linked to drugs, as well as national strategies in the drugs arena. (Site: http: //http://www.emcdda.eu.int ).
During the launch on Wednesday in Strasbourg of the second report, Georges Estievenart, director of the EMCDDA highlighted the worries linked to EU enlargement among the public. He made specific mention of drug trafficking, increased drug addiction in the new Member States and the propagation of infectious diseases. He did add, however, that enlargement would also provide countries with the chance to fully elaborate concerted and coordinated solutions due to greater cooperation.
An EMCDDA press statement indicted that infectious diseases are a priority for public health measures. Dangers of HIV positive cases was a potentially serious problem in central and eastern Europe (there have been recent and increased infections of HBV among intravenous drug users in Estonia and Latvia, for example), hepatitis B and C are reaching high levels in most of these countries (essentially Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and the reduction in drug addiction related injuries (particularly infectious diseases and fatal overdoses) is insufficient.
In connection with anti-drug strategies in future Member States, the report illustrates that anti-drug legislation in most of these countries tends towards the criminalisation and detention of drugs for personal use and/or drug consumption. The EMCDDA stresses that these measures are in contrast with the modifications recently attached to anti-drug legislation in certain EU countries, which have tackled the problem very differently. The report still observes the need for political and financial support and a scientific evaluation of the results to improve the effectiveness of national anti-drug strategies. The report underlines the need of these countries to invest in monitoring and notification systems that allow for a better understanding of the phenomenon and follow-up developments in time, concludes the EMCDDA. (Info: http: //http://www.emcdda.eu/int ).