European Neighbourhood Policy seminar (14–15 October) (31.08.2010)
Perspectives for technical cooperation for 2011–13 between the EMCDDA and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) partner countries will be explored at a seminar in Brussels from 14–15 October. Organised by the EMCDDA, in consultation with the European Commission, the event is financed by the Commission's Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX). The seminar, which will provide an overview of the EU drug monitoring system and the EMCDDA's role within it, will bring together representatives of health, justice and interior ministries from the 16 ENP beneficiary countries, with experts from the European Commission and the EMCDDA.
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Rights Here, Right Now — International AIDS conference, Vienna 18–23 July 2010 (22.07.2010)
The 18th International AIDS conference (AIDS 2010) takes place in Vienna from 18–23 July 2010. The conference is the main platform for those working in the field of HIV — including scientists, policymakers and persons living with HIV — to exchange views on the current state of the global HIV problem, access to treatment and prevention programmes.
The slogan of the 2010 AIDS conference, ‘Rights Here, Right Now’, emphasises protecting the human rights of those living with, or most vulnerable to, HIV, including the right to health care and access to all scientifically sound HIV interventions. At the conference, a group of leading scientists presented the ‘Vienna declaration’, a statement urging governments and international bodies to make drug and HIV policies evidence-based and, specifically, to end the counterproductive effects of law- enforcement-based drug policies on the health of illicit drug users.
In this latest report, Trends in injecting drug use in Europe, the EMCDDA estimates that there may be between 750 000 and one million active injecting drug users currently in the EU. Read more >>
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26 June: International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking (24.06.2010)
Injecting drug use — stable or declining in most European countries
Injecting drug use is strongly associated with severe health problems in drug users, including both blood-borne infections (e.g. HIV/AIDS, hepatitis) and overdose. But the latest analysis of this practice is encouraging, says the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA). In a new report released today ahead of International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking (26 June), the agency describes how injecting drug use is now stable or declining in most European countries.
'Injecting drug use has a long history in Europe, but came to the fore in the early 1980s in the context of a growing heroin problem and the diffusion of HIV. Since then it has been associated with over 100 000 deaths', explains Chairman of the EMCDDA Management Board, João Goulão. 'Some 30 years on, we are encouraged that drug injecting now appears to be waning. But we cannot forget that it is still at the heart of Europe’s drug problem', he adds.
In this latest report, Trends in injecting drug use in Europe, the EMCDDA estimates that there may be between 750 000 and one million active injecting drug users currently in the EU.
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Council calls on EU scientific experts to assess risks of mephedrone (27.05.2010)
New drug placed under official scrutiny across Europe
Europe has responded to rising concern over the use of the synthetic drug mephedrone by formally requesting a scientific investigation into the health and social risks of the substance. The decision was communicated to the EMCDDA by the Council of the EU today, in line with a legal procedure designed to respond to potentially threatening new psychoactive drugs in the EU.
The risk-assessment exercise, which will result in a report by end-July, will be undertaken by the EMCDDA Scientific Committee, with the participation of additional experts from the EU Member States, European Commission, Europol and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The exercise constitutes the second phase in the three-step legal procedure: (i) information exchange/early-warning; (ii) risk assessment; and (iii) decision-making/control.
Today’s decision is based on the findings of a ‘Europol–EMCDDA joint report on a new psychoactive substance: 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone)’, submitted in late March to the Council of the EU, the European Commission and the EMA, concluding Step I of the process. The report is released today.
