Consultations at the Victoria Palace on the topic of combating drug use

The Chancellery of the Prime Minister organized a working meeting on the prevention and reduction of drug use, which brought together representatives of several non-governmental organizations involved in reducing and mitigating the risks associated with drug use, as well as of the main institutions with attributions in the field. The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, also participated in the meeting, according to a press release.

On this occasion, a dialogue was initiated between the government and NGOs to identify the best solutions to reduce the social, medical and economic risks associated with drug use, with an emphasis on prevention, support and social reintegration of victims.

During the meeting, the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, stated that public policies are needed to put a greater emphasis on the psycho-medical component associated with drug use, stressing the need to establish rehabilitation centers in the country. "We propose that in Romania we have centers in each county to combat addiction, for the recovery of drug users. There is a very vulnerable category - children and teenagers, for which we must find solutions", said the minister.

NGO representatives proposed the creation of a mechanism for coordinating efforts to combat drug use at the level of the Prime Minister or the General Secretariat of the Government. Other proposals referred to the need for the development of specialized medical services, consumer de-stigmatization campaigns, decriminalization of drug possession for personal consumption and the implementation of preventive education in schools to combat drug use.

Representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Anti-Drug Agency also participated in the meeting at the Victoria Palace, organized by the Prime Minister's Chancellery through the State Councilor Victoria Stoicu.

Civil society was represented by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Romania Office Foundation, the Alliance for the Fight Against Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (ALIAT), the Romanian Harm Reduction Network (RHRN), the Romanian Anti-AIDS Association (ARAS), the Parada Foundation, the Semper Musica Association, Sens Pozitiv Association, Carusel Association, Romanian Association of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Declic Association, as well as authors of analyzes on public anti-drug policies in Romania.

Translated by: Radu Matei