A project on drug treatment services of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union has significantly contributed in the last three years to improving drug treatment services in cities of Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Furthermore, this tool has created an awareness of the role cities can play in the search for solutions to the health and social problems caused by drug abuse.

The collaborative effort, called, “EU-LAC Drug Treatment City Partnerships,” culminates in the “Drugs Summit of European, Latin American and Caribbean Mayors and Cities” that is being held this week in the Spanish city of Lugo and convenes some 300 mayors, international experts and authorities on drug control from around 40 cities and countries. It also has the support and collaboration of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

Among the highlights of the results of the EU-LAC project is the creation of drug courts in Surinamese and Mexican cities, and the creation of the European Association of Drug Treatment Courts in Gent, Belgium. A drug court, headed by a judge and supported by a treatment team, seeks to address the problems to the individual and society caused by drug abuse and its relationship to crime at the local level. Drug courts have been more successful in preventing rescidivism than other drug treatment programs. Furthermore, the EU-LAC project coordinates a patient treatment registry that will be used by more than 30 cities to strengthen drug treatment services at the local level and facilitate research and data analysis between cities.

“Today there is greater awareness among the cities participating in this project and national governments of the role that local governments can play in providing or facilitating drug treatment services and in contributing to solving the problems caused by drug abuse,” said James Mack, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security.

“The project has shown that cities have a profound interest in the results of drug treatment programs in their jurisdictions. Individuals don’t live at the national level, they live in cities, and the consequences of drug addiction are also lived at the local level. Participating cities have been successful in gaining a better understanding of what their responsibilities are and how they can contribute to the search for solutions to the problems caused by drug abuse,” he added.

Furthermore, Executive Secretary Mack noted that the EU-LAC project has helped participating cities in Latin America and the Caribbean develop closer ties to their countries’ national drug agencies. “Without a doubt, collaboration between local and national governments is better,” Mack said. “Throughout the project, we have helped cities work more closely with national drug agencies and take advantage of the resources and support they offer. Some cities were not even aware of the drug treatment programs offered by their national governments.”

The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) was established by the General Assembly of the OAS in 1986 as the Western Hemisphere’s policy forum on all aspects of the drug problem. Its core mission is to enhance the human and institutional capacities of its member states to reduce the production, trafficking and use of illegal drugs, and to address the health, social and criminal consequences of the drug trade.

The Lugo Summit is being held from April 21 to 23. More information on the EU-LAC project and the Lugo Summit may be found here

More information on the CICAD is available here

Photos of this event are available here here

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org

Reference: E-126/10