OpenLobby.EU
Explore

Comunità San Patrignano Società Cooperativa Sociale

San Patrignano is the largest residential drug rehabilitation community in Europe, providing drug-free treatments and social reintegration options to people completely free of charge.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Evaluation of the implementation of the EU Drugs Strategy and of the EU Drugs Action Plan 2021-2025

15 Jan 2024

Founded in 1978, San Patrignano is one of Europe's largest therapeutic communities, welcoming youngsters and adults with SUD. San Patrignano does not accept money from its residents or their families: 65% of the funds necessary to run SP come from the communitys activities, following a principle of autonomy and social entrepreneurship. The rest comes from private donors or companies that believe in the social value of our center. Currently, the Community is home to 800 people. At SP, the human being is at the center, and respect for his needs is the main rule that guides our actions. We welcome the opportunity to provide feedback on the implementation of the EU Drug Action Plan 2021 - 2025, based on the long-term SP experience at the grassroots level in recovery and social integration of people with severe SUD, 10% of them in conflict with law. Over the last decades, Italy, like many other countries around the world, has experienced an exponential increase in cannabis, cocaine, synthetic substances, and NPS, while the use of heroin remains stable or increases, especially its smoked use. Public institutions have underestimated this increase, the vast majority limiting their intervention to distributing agonist therapies. These medically prescribed narcotics, which can be used only for OUD (no substitution medications are available for other drugs), can limit the harm caused by drug use and connected lifestyles. Still, we think that these measures should always be part of a comprehensive approach that addresses the problem in all its complexity and offers people an opportunity to improve their quality of life substantially. It is necessary to address what is essentially a human and educational problem, which has root causes in trauma and ACEs in complex social and economic conditions that an exclusively medical approach leaves unaddressed. We advocate for comprehensive and complex interventions, able to offer people with SUD various options that, at the same time, reduce stigma and provide opportunities for giving people hope, care, and support in their recovery process. We believe that people who use drugs have the right to access the best treatment options available, affordable and accessible. They have the right to be supported in their social integration, as not only addiction per se but also the related issues that affect this population should be addressed. Treatment systems must provide a wide range of effective services to assist people who use drugs. These services must be scientifically evidence-based and follow the same principle of non-discrimination expected in other health system sectors. In our opinion, especially considering the most vulnerable groups (young people, women and mothers with kids, detainees, and very sick people), recovery can offer those who have developed drug-related problems the opportunity to minimize their risk of further consequences and enable them to function effectively in society, to take part in education, work or other activities, to mend the relationships with their families and to empower them to take control of and enjoy their own lives. Unfortunately, effective recovery options are scarcely available and often very expensive. Therefore, only a few can access them, also in developed countries. Another crucial element of a promising drug policy is to offer people who use drugs efficient and immediate Alternatives to Incarceration. Decriminalization of drug use and possession, guaranteed by the Italian legislation, doesn't prevent people - especially those socially and economically vulnerable - from ending up in jail, as they commit crimes to get money for their dependence. They are offenders, but we believe the prison setting is inappropriate and counterproductive. Instead of an obstacle, the criminal justice system should become a powerful recovery engine. Alternative sanctions should empower people to recover, being crime-free and integrated members of society.
Read full response

Response to Revision of the mandate of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction

7 Mar 2022

San Patrignano is an NGO in consultaitve status witth ECOSOC and member of the Civil Society Forum on Drugs.Since 1978 we have been working in the area of prevention, recovery and social reintegration of people with substance use disorder and advocating for prevention and recovery oriented drug policies at the national and international level. Our mission is to to support people and families affected by drug use to help them to return to society as full member of it, and work with them and the whole community for public health oriented policies and activities that seek to prevent drug use, offer early intervention, provide access to recovery and social reintegration services which have to be accessible and available to all those in need. We would like to thank the Commission for the inclusion of civil society in the preparation of the new mandate and encourage continued involvement of civil sociey in the process going forward. The drug situation in Europe has evolved. We agree that it is necessary to look at the mandate of the EMCDDA to ensure that it is fit for purpose today and in the years to come. San Patrignano welcomes the new and expanded mandate of the EMCDDA/E. We believe the new mandate will provide a stronger basis for the work of monitoring the drug situation in Europe. We agree with the three main competence areas outlined in the revised mandate: monitoring, early warning/risk assessment and competence development. Data monitoring based on close collaboration with national focal points should be at the core of this organisms' work. We strongly support the expansion of the mandate to include poly-substance use. This is now the dominant pattern of drug use in Europe and adds to the complexity of the drug situation. Poly-substance use includes medicines, but also other legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco. This creates new interfaces between the EMCDDA/EUDA and medicines agencies as well as disease control and public health bodies. It will be important to set up new data sharing systems that facilitate the flow of information and avoid the duplication of work. The new mandate will strengthen the EUDA’s threat assessment capabilities to help member states and EU bodies react more effectively to new challenges. While we strongly believe that the primary goals of drug policy should be health and well-being, we agree that it is necessary to address supply issues to understand the impact of drug phenomenon. Health and supply are closely linked. It is therefore necessary to monitor developments in the drug markets both physical and online.This is in line with the balanced approach endorsed by the EU Drugs Agenda and UN drug policy documents. San Patrignano welcomes the new strong emphasis on prevention. EUDA will have a key role in developing and promoting Drug Prevention Quality Standards and the European Union Prevention Curriculum. San Patrignano wants to particularly encourage EUDA to help develop similar evidence-based strategies to promote recovery from substance use problems, e.g. reducing stigma among people in recovery, supporting self-help groups, strengthening recovery capital in individuals and communities, and promoting social inclusion and job opportunities for people in recovery. This is a matter that has a special urgency in relation to women and families with substance use disorders, where children might be severely affected by parental drug use. Often, the only intervention provided by services to these families is the out-of-home placement of kids, which is not is line with the latest reccommentations of the EU strategy and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and do not provide viable and effective solutions for kids and families as well. Adequating services to answer these special needs of familes with kids, one of the most vulnerable group in the area of drug issue, is an increasing emergency. EMCDDA should monitor this situation and provides data to orientate drug policies.
Read full response

Response to EU Drugs Agenda and Action Plan

14 Jul 2020

- Drug use disorders have been defined as multifactorial issues in all the relevant UN documents, included the UNGASS Outcome Document 2016 and the UN System Common Position on Drugs (2018), therefore the approach must be a comprehensive and multifaceted one. Drug policies must be balanced, evidence-based and integrated. It is necessary that all areas are addressed, in particular drug demand reduction should include measures and initiatives in the field of prevention (environmental, universal, selective and indicated), early detection and intervention, risk and harm reduction, treatment, rehabilitation, recovery and social reintegration. - Drug use has a negative impact on people's health but also in many aspects of one's life, and expecially the most vulnerable are often the most exposed to these negative consequences: drug policy should consider in particular their rights and their difficulties and offer healthy alternatives and bio-psycho-social support. - Among the most vulnerable, children and young people require a special attention, because they often are those who can see their life devastated by drug use disorders: if they are not supported and helped to get their lives back on track they might not develop their talents and opportunities in life and put at risk their future. In line with the art. 33 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, PREVENTION, EARLY DETECTION and INTERVENTION are therefore of the utmost importance to offer them a good and healthy quality of life, at the same time guaranteeing a future to our societies. - EU new Drug Agenda needs to take a gender sensitive approach. Women and young girls (together with the LGBTQ+ community) are those who most suffer the negative consequences of drugs on their health and lives, both because they develop physical and mental diseases more rapidly and severely than their peers male, and also because they are disproportionately affected by social stigma and violence (physical and psychological) often perpetrated by their partners when living with addictions. Addressing women's needs in a comprehensive way means to offer them a 360 degrees of care, empowering them in order to offer a way out of exploitation and sufferings. In case of children all the necessary measures have to be implemented in order to support their parenting role and to enhance their educational skills. - Most often, drug services and treatment centers are managed by civil society organizations, in daily contact with affected populations: thus, a meaningful dialogue with civil society is of the utmost importance in order to identify and implement adequate and close-to-needs policies. The exchange between EU and CSOs should continue and be reinforced in all the relevant and appropriate situations, as it is the most productive way to mainstream real and concrete inputs in the design of drug policies. - The drug demand reduction measures must be indicated with the highest level of priority, and the supply reduction activities (drug market control and crime prevention) should always keep a correct approach based on human rights. The criminal justice system should always focus on alternatives to detention and punishment. People who get in touch with criminal justice system because of their DUD need opportunities toward recovery and social reintegration and never jail or social stigma. - Adequate resources should be provided for by the new plan of actions, and researches be made in order to implement those services which are evidence based and cost effective: on this regards prevention is one of the most cost effective, as well as therapeutic communities which are considered the most efficient and cost effective among different treatment options (see files in attachment) -The 2016 UNGASS Outcome Document with all its chapters and dedicated specifications should inspire and suggest concrete actions to address all these aspects and they must be included into the EU new Drugs Agenda.
Read full response