National Drug Strategy

Laws and Policies

"The National Plan against Addictions for the period 2011-2012, which was prepared by the Committee, takes into consideration the constraints imposed by the economic crisis and consequent fiscal austerity and attempts to streamline expenditure.
"The Plan has two main axes: demand reduction and supply reduction.
"The goals in the field of Demand Reduction include:
"• Prevention: full geographical coverage at the prefecture level; needs assessment; enhanced provision; training activities for prevention professionals; extending the activities of the Prevention Centres to cover issues related to mental health promotion and dependence prevention (tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, internet)
"• Treatment and Reintegration: to increase treatment availability and access to all treatment modalities; to extend treatment to special populations of dependent users (army recruits, prisoners, immigrants); to shorten the waiting list for substitution treatment; to enhance treatment services and step up efforts for the occupational and social integration of former drug users and stabilised clients in substitution treatment.
"Research and Evaluation are highlighted as axes of the National Plan against Addictions. Most notably, enhancement of research and use of research data for policymaking, evaluation of activities and identification of the evidence-based practices in addiction management at the national level, as well as use of international best practice in evaluation, setting across-the-board criteria for the evaluation of agencies and, finally, evaluation of the National Plan against Addictions itself.
"Another important axis is Information and Public Awareness, i.e. promotion of the agencies’ activities, raising public awareness and changing perceptions of treatment clients, as well as providing information to specific population and professional groups in view of facilitating the activities of the agencies.
"The focus of Supply Reduction is on reinforcing suppression and international cooperation of law enforcement agencies, improving infrastructure at the national level, networking with demand reduction agencies, and training for the development of a balanced, complementary and multi-pronged policy in suppression and prevention."