In accordance with the Act Regulating the Prevention of the Use of Illicit Drugs and the Treatment of Drug Users (Uradni list RS [Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia], Nos. 98/99 and 2/04 – ZPNNVSM) and Article 109 of the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly (Uradni list RS, Nos. 92/07 – official consolidated text, 105/10 and 80/13), on 2 April 2014 the National Assembly adopted the following

RESOLUTION
on the National Programme in the Field of Illicit Drugs (2014–2020) (ReNPPD14–20)

1.INTRODUCTION

The problem of illicit drugs is regulated primarily by the legislation in this area. An important role is also played by the National Strategy, which should determine the scope of action, the development trends, and the implementation mechanisms.

Slovenia is adopting a National Programme in this field for the third time. The first National Programme in the Field of Illicit Drugs was drafted in 1992 and marked the beginning of a comprehensive resolution of the problem of illicit drugs in Slovenia. The preparations for the next strategy in this area took a long period of time. The preparation process was coordinated by the Office for Drugs of the Republic of Slovenia, whose tasks included the drafting of this strategic document. The key components of the Resolution on the National Programme in the Field of Illicit Drugs 2004–2009 (hereinafter: ReNPPD) were defined on the basis of an analysis of the situation that substantially covered all areas of drug problems. Following the conclusion of the implementation of the ReNNPD, an extensive evaluation of the implementation of the National Programme was made, which represents one of the key starting points for preparing a new strategy in this area.

In the European Union (hereinafter: EU), guidelines for the area of illicit drugs are contained in two fundamental policy documents: EU Strategy in the Field of Drugs (2013–2020) and the EU Implementation Action Plan to Combat Drugs (2013–2016). The EU strategy is based on three UN conventions (the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, as amended by the Protocol of 1972, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, and the Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances of 1988).

Measures and policies on illicit drugs in Slovenia are implemented in nine sectors. The coordination of measures and policies is ensured through the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. Non-governmental organisations play an important role in the field of drugs in Slovenia, as they carry out some basic aid programmes for drug users and their immediate families. At the state level, they are organised in associations that, inter alia, participate in discussions with the relevant ministries on formulating measures and policies. The representatives of these associations are also members of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia.

Individual ministries provide for the collection, processing, and analysis of data from their respective areas of activity. For the purpose of comprehensive monitoring of the epidemiological situation and trends in the area of illicit drugs, data, i.e. aggregate data from various ministries, are collected and analysed by the National Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia (hereinafter: the NIPH). The NIPH sends the processed and analysed data to other institutions in the country and international institutions, and makes them available to the general public. The Institute serves simultaneously as a contact point for the Lisbon-based European network of contact points for drugs (EMCDDA – the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction).

On a local level, the coordinating role is assumed by Local Action Groups (hereinafter: LAGs) established by municipalities as advisory bodies to the mayor. The LAGs coordinate the implementation of measures and activities in the field of drugs at the municipal level.

The new National Drug Programme is based on the needs identified in this area in all relevant ministries, on the evaluation results of the previous strategy, recent scientific results, and the valid legislation in this area. It represents a strategic starting point for a uniform, integrated, and balanced approach of the state to drugs. At the operational level, the implementation of the strategy is based on two-year action plans laying down the priorities, implementers, and required financial resources. The action plan is also an instrument whose structure facilitates close monitoring of the implementation and case-to-case adjustment of the activities to the topical problems and needs in the field of drugs.

Drug legislation

On the one hand, the national drug legislation and policy depends on international legal systems in this area and on a number of variables, such as the prevalence of drug use, political priorities and financial resources, access to various forms of assistance, social perception of this problem, and finally the geographic position of each country. When devising this policy, one should also take into account poverty, exclusion, social inequality, discrimination, and stigma, which are becoming a growing problem faced by many individuals. The basic drug legislation was drafted within the United Nations Organisation. Almost all countries are parties to the UN conventions in the field of drugs, which means that there is a high degree of consensus among them on the fact that drugs are a complex and global problem for which they should strive together to find a coordinated and comprehensive solution at all levels.

In 1999 and 2000 Slovenia adopted two fundamental acts on illicit drugs. The two acts are: The Act Regulating the Prevention of the Use of Illicit Drugs and the Treatment of Drug Users (Uradni list RS [Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia], Nos. 98/8 and 2/04 – ZPNNVSM; hereinafter: ZPUPD) and the Manufacture and Trafficking of Illicit Drugs Act (Uradni list RS, Nos. 108/99, 44/00, 2/04 – ZzdrlA, 47/04 – ZdZPZ; hereinafter: ZPPPD).

The ZUPD basically lays down measures and activities for reducing the demand for drugs. These measures and activities include various information campaigns and prevention programmes, health care and social activities, damage-reduction programmes, and activities related to the monitoring and analysis of drug use problems. This Act also defined the organisation and financing of the treatment of drug addicts.

The purpose of implementing the ZPPPD is to reduce the supply of illicit drugs. This Act lays down the conditions permitting the production of and traffic in illicit drugs and their possession and the sanctions for violating the provisions of this Act.

In this context, the Penal Code of the Republic of Slovenia should be mentioned. Articles 186 and 187 of the Code determines the criminal offences associated with illicit drugs, illicit drug precursors, illicit drugs used in sport, and penalties for offenders.

EU-level policy tools

The EU Strategy in the Field of Drugs (2013–2020)

The strategy is based on three UN conventions that are the key legal instruments in dealing with the problem of illicit drugs. It was devised within the existing legal framework of European Union and EC Treaties and is based on the appropriate competencies of the EU and its individual Member States by taking into account the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. The EU strategy objectives are the following:

1. To contribute to a measurable reduction in demand for illicit drugs, in addiction and drug-related risks, and in damage to health and social status.

2. To contribute to the suppression of illicit drug trafficking and to a measurable decrease in access to illicit drugs.

3. To promote coordination with analyses of developments and challenges in the field of illicit drugs and on an international level.

4. To further strengthen the dialogue between and cooperation of the EU with third countries and international organisations.

5. To contribute to an improved distribution of the results of various studies and evaluations and to a better understanding of all aspects of the illicit drug phenomenon, including an understanding of the effects of various measures and activities with a view to creating a sound and comprehensive basis for devising various policies and activities.

The current integrated, multidisciplinary, and balanced approach, which is focused on reducing both the supply and demand, will serve as a basis for the EU approach to the problem of illicit drugs also in the future. In addition to illicit drugs, the EU Strategy in the Field of Drugs also deals with licit drugs, particularly alcohol. The strategy specifically refers to the use of several drugs at a time, the abuse of medicinal products, and the emergence of new psychoactive substances.

The Action Plan to Combat Drugs (2013–2016)

The Action Plan was adopted by the Council of the European Union in June 2013. It specifies a number of measures in all subject areas with a view to strengthening EU-wide cooperation on reducing the harmful effects of drug use and related criminal activities. The action plan follows the design and objectives of the strategy and focuses on tangible results in individual priority areas.

2.NATIONAL STRATEGY

The drafting of the Resolution on the National Programme in the Field of Illicit Drugs (ReNPPD) was based on sectoral legislation and other implementing and strategic regulations issued by various ministries. Account has also been taken of the reports on the implementation of the previous Resolution on the National Programme in the Field of Illicit Drugs, which was prepared by all relevant ministries, and all relevant epidemiological and criminological data. The Ministry of Health commissioned an evaluation of the implementation of the Resolution on the National Programme in the Field of Illicit Drugs, which was carried out by the Faculty of Social Work as an independent scientific institution. Moreover, the Ministry of Health commissioned an analysis from the Federation of Associations in the Field of Drugs aimed at establishing the views of non-governmental organisations on the previous Resolution, particularly on their expectations regarding the new document. The main findings and recommendations of this evaluation and analysis are provided below. The Information Unit at the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has prepared an overview of the main epidemiological data reported in this area. The Ministry of Health organised two major conferences to publicly present and discuss the contents of the working draft of the new National Programme, which attracted the active participation of a number of experts and the interested general public. The contents of the new document were also presented and discussed at other professional congresses and conferences. All proposals for the new wording of the National Programme were analysed by a working group of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, whose membership included representatives of line ministries and non-governmental organisations and researchers.

The aforementioned evaluation of the implementation of the previous ReNPPD points to a number of problems. Previously there had been too little interconnection and communication between the ministries and vertical interconnection and communication between the ministries, on the one hand, and programme providers and users, on the other, which particularly caused problems in the implementation of the ReNPPD objectives which require action to be taken by several ministries at several levels. Better cooperation is needed especially in planning and directing specific programmes and activities. Also noted was the lack of updated data and information and publicity on the national and local levels regarding the prevalence of the problem of illicit drug use in all its manifestations.

In the opinion of programme providers, the ReNPPD as a document was important particularly for its key operational guidelines, while it lacked more operational documents such as an action plan for the purpose of coordinating specific measures. The Resolution promoted the development of new programmes, which have subsequently been left to themselves and without proper evaluation and permanent financial resources for their implementation. Programme providers expressed in their evaluations the need for better exchange of information and good practices, specific substantive criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of their work, and better inter-ministerial coordination in terms of communication with providers and their commitment to continued support for programmes. They also pointed to the lack of a single coordinating body or at least key professional counterparts in relevant ministries responsible for relations with the professional and lay public.

In the opinion of users, services operating in the field of illicit drugs are quite readily accessible; however, they point out that some programmes indicated in the RENPPD, such as safe rooms for injections and automatic needle dispensers, never became a reality. They also point to the lack of programmes for smaller towns.

Due to the need to assess the effectiveness of treatment programmes, The Ministry of Health performed an evaluation of substitution maintenance therapy, i.e. an assessment of its quality and effectiveness in Slovenia. The project was carried out in cooperation with Trimbos Institute, the Netherlands institute for mental health and addiction, and in cooperation with the Faculty of Social Work of the University of Ljubljana. The evaluation demonstrated that, compared with other countries, substitution maintenance therapy in Slovenia is well organised, with good access to treatment and no waiting periods, it has suitable hours of operation, and there is no restriction on access to the programme by imposing extraordinary requirements for including individuals in treatment programmes.

The EU Strategy in the Field of Drugs (2013–2020), which stresses the need for further development of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, global, and balanced strategy in the field of drugs in Europe, also provided an important reference framework for drafting the Resolution on the National Programme. In line with the recommendations of the European Council, the expertise of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (hereinafter: EMCDDA), Europol, and the assistance of European professional associations should be fully taken advantage of.

In accordance with these starting points and guidelines, the Ministry of Health, in the capacity of the competent ministry, nine other ministries, and external experts and civil society representatives prepared a Draft Resolution on the National Drug Programme (2014–2020). The draft has been discussed and approved by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

Epidemiological and other statistics

Epidemiological statistics on drugs use in Slovenia for the past ten years show that Slovenia now stands at a crossroads in terms of both drug use patterns and methods for reducing illicit drug use. While the previous period was marked primarily by the use of opiates and its consequences and the various types of approaches and measures were shaped accordingly, there has been a growing number of younger users of these drugs alongside the emergence of a growing number of new drugs in the past few years. A main characteristic of the recent period has been primarily the use of hemp, cocaine, and synthetic drugs and drugs which have not yet been listed as illicit and for which many countries are still seeking efficient approaches to controlling their use. The use of inhalants such as glues, thinners, kitchen gas, etc., and the abuse of various psychoactive medicinal products injected according to special preliminary procedures are also characteristic of the younger generation and may result in very serious health consequences.

In 2011 and 2012 the NIPH financed the first study on the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs among the general private household population between the ages of 15 and 64. According to the results of this study, 16% of the Slovenian population have tried an illicit drugs at some time in their lives. Among those who have used illicit drugs, most persons (15.8%) have used cannabis or hashish. The study also pointed to the use of several drugs at a time, which is particularly characteristic of young adults. A comparison with the EU has shown that the prevalence of cannabis use and some other drugs in Slovenia is below the EU average. According to the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD, which was carried out in 2011, 24.8% of the surveyed students aged 15 and 16 had used an illicit drugs. The survey results point to a similar, declining trend in the prevalence of illicit drug use after 2007. As compared to the ESPAD country average, Slovenia stands out particularly as regards the use of vapours and cannabis at least once as reported by 20% and 23% of students, respectively. As compared to the ESPAD study average, cannabis is readily accessible by young people in Slovenia. In Slovenia, 45% of young people consider cannabis to be readily accessible, as compared to the 29% ESPAD average. According to the ESPAD study, 13% of young people and 20% of young people in Slovenia consider ecstasy to be readily accessible. According to the ESPAD study, 35% of young people considered the use of cannabis twice in a lifetime risky behaviour, compared to only 28% in Slovenia. According to the ESPAD study, 42% of young people considered occasional use of cannabis risky, compared to only 32% in Slovenia. Regular use of cannabis was rated as risky by 72% of young people included in the ESPAD study and by only 58% of young people in Slovenia.