CICAD and European Commission Join Forces to Address Consequences of Drug Dependency

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Commission are launching an initiative to pair up cities from Europe with counterparts in Latin America and the Caribbean, forming partnerships to improve the treatment and rehabilitation of problematic drug users, and address other aspects of drug dependency at the municipal level. The European Commission is underwriting the program with a grant of 1.4 million euros (US$1.8 million) over three years.

Coordinated by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), the initiative will bring together mayors, local chief medical officers, drug treatment personnel and family court judges from paired cities in a sustained program of exchanges designed to share best practices, establish long-term partnerships and develop new approaches to improve drug treatment and rehabilitation.

The program will offer opportunities for cities to look at alternatives to incarceration—such as community-service options and special drug courts—for petty offenders who are drug-dependent. It will also include outreach efforts to help bring current drug users into contact with available health services.

"In an age of globalization, no part of the planet is immune to substance abuse and drug addiction, and no one region has all of the answers to this very complex problem," said James F. Mack, CICAD Executive Secretary. "Through this program, we will establish partnerships that will help us share ideas and experiences that have been shown to be effective in tackling these difficult problems."

The European Commission and CICAD have recognized that cities across both regions—in 34 OAS member states and the 27 countries of the European Union—have much to learn from each other, Mack added.

More information about CICAD activities are available at the news archive.