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Rome Consensus Europe aims to encourage Red Cross National Societies to develop health based programmes to tackle drug use in their country, providing information on the European Drug Strategy, and acting as a pilot for the expansion of the EU Drug Strategy within the work of National Societies of Red Cross-Red Crescent.
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This Section aims to assist National Societies in the choice, establishment and management of a drug response programme in prevention, treatment and reintegration, harm reduction.
Prevention
What is Prevention?
Prevention is described as an intervention designed to change the social and environmental determinants of drug and alcohol use, including discouraging the commencement of drug use and preventing the progression to more frequent or regular use among at-risk populations. (UNODC)
Prevention can work at different levels through a set of strategies and tools.
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Levels of Action
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Strategies
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Tools
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Primary Level: aims to prevent people from using drugs
Secondary level: aims to reduce existing risky behaviours and symptoms through early intervention
Tertiary level: aims to reduce the impacts of the illness/symptoms
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Create Awareness
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Information on the adverse health and social effects of drug use
Promotion of anti-drug norms and pro-social behaviour
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Build Skills
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Life/Social Skills provided to individuals and groups to develop anti-drug attitudes and avoid engaging in drug-using behaviour
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Promote Healthy Lifestyles
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Supportive environments and healthier are created and more productive and fulfilling behaviour and lifestyles, free from drug use are encouraged
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Who is Prevention for?
The groups targeted for preventive action may vary from entire populations to selected high risk groups. Different types of prevention target different populations and have specific aims in relation to the population.
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Type of prevention
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Population targeted
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Programme examples
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Universal prevention
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Addresses the entire population without any prior screening for substance use risk
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A media campaign on drug use is an example of a universal prevention programme
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Selective prevention
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Targets those groups that are considered at risk due to social, demographic or environmental factors associated with use
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A programme to teach skills to young offenders, employment schemes for school drop-outs, and support systems for students who are failing academically are examples of selective prevention
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Targeted prevention
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Identifies individuals who have characteristics described as high risk
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Programmes to prevent the initiation of use or dependence development for people with psychological problems or those exhibiting anti social behaviour are examples of targeted prevention
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How can I create a prevention programme?
For information about National Societies programmes in prevention click here.
Treatment
What is treatment?
Drug treatment refers to medical and/or psycho-social methods that aim to reduce or stop drug use, with the ultimate goal of improving the general health of the drug user, and often at the same time reducing the negative impact his or her drug use may have on society.
The principal division within the types of treatment is:
a) whether the therapy involves the continued use of a drug to gradually “wean” the drug user from his or her addiction (substitution treatment), or
b) all drugs are taken away in order to bring about detoxification
What is Substitution Treatment?
Methadone substitution treatment is an example of the use of a drug to gradually reduce or stop drug use: substituting heroin for medical methadone has proved to be a highly effective way of helping heroin users with their addiction, while at the same time reducing the damage caused to both them and society.
Substitution treatment involves the controlled prescription and administration of substances such as methadone and buprénorphine. Methadone has been successfully employed to treat drug addiction since the early 1960s, and in 2003 it was included in the World Health Organisation’s list of essential medicines.
What other types of treatment are available?
Other types of treatment include ‘detoxification’ (removing the drug for a sustained period in order to eliminate addiction) or a range of psycho-social treatments.
Some of the principle psycho-social treatments employed are:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy;
- Multidimensional Family Therapy;
- Motivational Interviewing;
- Motivational Incentives;
Where does treatment take place?
Treatment can be administered on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Outpatient treatment encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients who visit a clinic (or another setting) at regular intervals but do not spend the night there.
During inpatient treatment programmes (also called residential treatment), drug users remain in residence, usually for long periods (from 3 to 12 months).
Some treatment is also delivered within the criminal justice system, mainly in prison settings.
Who are treatment and rehabilitation for?
Drug treatment is mainly targeted at drug users who are suffering from addiction, although programmes do exist which are targeted at occasional or social drug use which is seen as problematic or of potential danger to their health.
Information about National Societies’ programmes in treatment and rehabilitation:
Click here.
Harm Reduction
The term harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and projects which aim to reduce the health, social and economic harms associated with the use of psychoactive substances.
Harm reduction activities target specific populations and achieve specific aims:
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Aim
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Target population
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Strategy
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Reduce the incidence of HIV and AIDS infection
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Injecting Drug Users (IDUs)
General populations in areas where injecting drug use is common
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Distribution of clean injecting materials
Collection of used syringes
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Reduce drug-related deaths
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At risk populations, e.g. prisoners, youth
People likely to witness an overdose: sex workers, bar/club staff
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First aid training to respond to overdoses
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Does harm reduction work?
There is a consistent body of evidence that proves that harm reduction measures are successful and cost-effective in reducing the health-related, social and economic dangers associated with drug use. Studies suggest that distribution of clean needles save public health spending on treatment of blood-borne diseases such as HIV and AIDS. Harm reduction measures save lives.
Information about National Societies programmes in harm reduction
Click here.
For more information download the Rome Consensus Europe Guidelines- EN - FR - ES
For more information about these activities and to participate in promotion, training and advocacy please contact the Rome Consensus Coordination team.
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