Category: News from Member Organisations

Youth and gambling

Posted on by Milutin

The Regional Conference “Youth and Gambling – National and regional perspectives” was held on 20 November 2024 in Skopje. The conference is organized by HOPS – Healthy Options Project Skopje, in partnership with Labyrinth from Kosovo and Prevent from Serbia within the framework of the regional project “Youth and Gambling” with the support of the Western Balkans Fund. The main goal of the project is to advance national policies and practices aimed at preventing gambling among youth under the age of 25.

The conference was attended by representatives of the ministries, institutions and civil society organizations responsible for this issue from North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo.

The results of the research “Youth and their Betting Habits in North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo” were presented at the conference. This research, which included 214 young people under the age of 25 in Macedonia, showed that 17.8% of respondents declared themselves addicted to gambling. Eighty-four percent of respondents said that they know someone younger than 25 who is addicted to playing games of chance. Of these, as many as 39.3% said they knew more than 10 people under the age of 25 who were addicted to gambling, and only 11.2% said they did not know a person under the age of 25 who was addicted to gambling.

Regarding the information provided to gambling players by the organizers of these games about the danger of becoming addicted, only 19.2% of respondents said that in the facilities where they play gambling there is information that one can become addicted to these games. Also, only 7.5% of respondents said that in the facilities where they play gambling there is information where one can seek help in case of addiction to these games.

Similar data are noted in Serbia and Kosovo.

The conference adopted regional and recommendations for each of the participating countries/territories.

Reports from the project are abailable in Macedonian, Serbian and Albanian.

Slovenia opens first drug consumption room

Posted on by Milutin

ŠENT – Slovenian Association for Mental Health opens tomorrow Goriška varna soba (Goriška Safe Room), first drug comsumption room in Slovenia.

The Safe Room is a harm reduction program aimed at a high-risk population of illicit drug users. The basic purpose of the safe room is to reach and respond to the needs of this particularly vulnerable group of users, whose needs cannot be adequately addressed within the existing public health system. At the same time, these users may be a significant burden to the local environment/community. With the services ŠENT offer in the safe room, they can most effectively and directly influence the reduction of health risks, and indirectly also the risks that they deal with within the social welfare and criminal law areas of treatment. In addition, the use of drugs is withdrawn from the public space into a private and at the same time controlled space, which reduces the possibility of exposure to the general public, including the risks that arise from the use of drugs in a public space.

The basic goals of safe room programs are the prevention of overdoses and health complications and the possibility of effective treatment in the event of them, the prevention of blood-borne diseases (Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, HIV, etc.) and bacterial infections, the reduction of drug use in public areas, enabling contact with particularly vulnerable and hard-to-reach users, reducing the costs of health, social and legal protection related to the use of illegal drugs.

ŠENT plan to connect the operation of the safe room program with the operation of the existing day center for users of illegal drugs in Nova Gorica (Sedejeva 9a). The space in which only this one operates and which is owned by the Municipality of Nova Gorica (MONG) is an independent building – a living container, which consists of interconnected modules, and has been used by the ŠENT association since 2006. The space has over the years of use proven to be suitable for the provision of harm reduction services, as due to its location (on the outskirts of the city of Nova Gorica) and its location outside the strict residential area, it is undisturbed for the residents. The city center is 500 meters away, which still ensures proximity to everyone who needs it.

Final preparations for the Safe Room openning

The safe room program will follow the guidelines of safe rooms from abroad. It will include a main area dedicated to drug use and individual work with users. The drug use area will be divided into two parts, one part will be for intravenous drug use, while the other part will be intended for users who will use the drug orally or nasally. The safe room will be used by one user at a time, who will have from 20 to 60 minutes available to use the drug, and the specific needs of the individual user must be taken into account, as some have problems with collapsed veins and consequently need longer injection time. Each user will have at their disposal sterile accessories that will enable nasal, oral and intravenous use of drugs, as well as other necessary accessories, which are free in the program.

Before using the safe room service, the user will have to take care of preliminary hygiene under the guidance of an employee, after use he will have to clean the work surface, for which s/he will have available cleaning products and a tray for infectious waste. The sterility and appropriateness of the work surfaces must be monitored and, if necessary, also ensured by the employee during use. The program will employ two professionals, a medical graduate and a social welfare professional.

Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia is the source of co-financing of the safe room. The total value of the operation is 207,359.68 Euro.

 

Our Yuliya awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year”

Posted on by Milutin

At the ceremony held on 10 October 2024, Forbes Bulgaria, honored the best Bulgarian entrepreneurs for the fourth year in a row. The awards were part of the Forbes DNA of Success Forum & Awards 2024: a half-day event that contains a forum and a competition part.

In the Social Entrepreneur category, the jury unanimously awarded an award to Yulia Georgieva. Julia is the founder of the Center for Humane Policies (DPNSEE member organisation), which at the Pink House provides a refuge for drug addicts. The activity of the organization is unparalleled and provides support to people who have nowhere else to get it.

During the forum, the audience had the opportunity to hear inspiring personal stories of entrepreneurs who achieved success after receiving valuable help from people with more experience than them. This is the so-called “Pass on and ask for nothing in return” philosophy.

Congratulations Yuliya – we are proud of you!

 

Summer school on drug addictions

Posted on by Milutin

HOPS – Healthy Options Project Skopje organizes for the eighth time a “Summer School on Drug Addictions”, which this year will be held from June 21 to 28 in Strumica.

The seven-day school will offer a multidisciplinary approach to learning about drug addictions that will take into account social, medical, and political issues.

The aim of the summer school is to educate young professionals to work in the field of drug addiction.

The school will specifically focus on drug policy models, evidence-based addiction treatment, harm reduction, psychosocial support and programs for resocialization and integration, and the concept of human rights. A visit to the addiction programs that exist in Strumica, where the school will be held, is also planned.

Graduates or students from the final years of studies in the field of social work and social policy, legal studies, medical studies, security, police and detectives, psychology, as well as postgraduates from the mentioned fields and young professional associates, under the age of 30, have the right to participate.

Interested candidates for participation in the summer school should send a letter of motivation and a short biography to vlatkod@hops.org.mk no later than June 12, 2024. All costs for the summer school are provided by the organizer.

 

Slovenian conference on addiction treatment

Posted on by Milutin

Our colleagues from the South Eastern European Adriatic Addiction Treatment Network organised the 11th Slovenian conference on addiction treatment. The Conference also included the 9th National Symposium “Hepatitis C virus infection and drug users”.

The conference was held in Ljubljana on 16 and 17 May 2024. Doctors and other involved medical staff had participated.

The conference agenda included a variety of interesting issues. A significant section was dedicated to treatment of children and adolescents using drugs.

During the session on international activities, DPNSEE Executive Director presented work of the Network, situation with harm reduction in the region, importance of civil society involvement and news from the Civil Society Forum on Drugs.

Evaluation of the National Strategy for Drugs

Posted on by Milutin

Our member organisation HOPS – Options for a healthy life Skopje published the “Evaluation of the National Strategy for Drugs 2021-2025 and the Action Plan for Drugs 2021-2023 of the Republic of North Macedonia“.

The purpose of this evaluation was:

  • To measure the relevance of the goals of the Strategy for Drugs 2021-2025 and the Action Plan for Drugs 2021-2023 in relation to the situation with the drug problem in North Macedonia;
  • To measure the impact of the Drug Strategy 2021 – 2025 and the Drug Action Plan 2021 – 2023 in relation to the national response to the drug problem;
  • To determine the degree of implementation of the measures from the Action Plan for Drugs 2021-2023,
  • To detect the obstacles and barriers that appeared in the implementation of the action plans, but also to determine the support systems or resources in the implementation of the measures from the action plans;
  • To define directions and priorities that should be observed in creating the new Action Plan for drugs 2024-2025.

This evaluation was carried out and published within the framework of the project “Improvement of the National Drug Policy in the Republic of North Macedonia” coordinated by HOPS and supported by the regional project SMART Balkans – Civil Society for a Connected Western Balkans implemented by the Center for the Promotion of Civil society (Centar za promeno členni društva – CPCD), by the Center for Research and Policy Making (CIKP) and by the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.

The Evaluation is available (in Macedonian) following this link>>>.

 

Know your options

Posted on by Milutin

Kralji ulice (Kings of the road) published a short informative brochure that presents addicts and/or their relatives with all the treatment options for opioid addiction in Slovenia.

The brochure was created in professional collaboration with Andrej Kastelic, Ph.D. med., spec. psych., the head of the National Centre for Treatment of Drug Addiction in Ljubljana.

It is available in 22 addiction treatment and prevention centers in Slovenia.

 

The Pink House is at risk!

Posted on by Milutin

Our colleagues from member organisation Center for Humanitarian Policy Foundation issued an alarm. Here it is, google-translated from Bulgarian.

Dear friends, with great regret I have to ask you for financial help again!

The Pink House has lived at its address for exactly 5 years. During that time, we helped 864 individuals who suffer from drug addiction. They are all homeless or living in extreme poverty, they all have almost no support in their daily lives. Apart from us. Except for the pink house.

At the end of February, we received notice of leaving from the landlords of the room. Despite the huge efforts made by the people of the Serdika district of the Capital Municipality, it was impossible to find a house that met our needs. All existing buildings are self-destructive, dangerous and impossible to repair on a budget.

Fortunately, after Evgenia Arnaudova from Serdika district made extraordinary efforts, she managed to find a plot on which we can place movable structures.

The cost of the four containers we need, together with the site, the field clearing and its fencing, will cost nearly 100,000 lv. which we (of course) do not have.

We will not give up, we will fight to the max to keep the only such place in Bulgaria! It’s humiliating enough that it’s only one…

For us to succeed again depends on your support. Give us a hand!

 

The organization’s bank account is:

Center for Humanitarian Policy Foundation

BG25UNCR70001523230099

UNCRBGSF / Bulbank

Foundation: Donation to the Pink House

PayPal: office@centerforhumanepolicy.org

DMS PINK HOUSE at number 17 777

(In the comments under this status, we will release our iban and PayPal accounts separately for easier copying over the phone)

 

These 864 people are us:

  • visited 34,304 times,
  • they have been fed for free 48 026 times,
  • they received decent clothes 3859 times,
  • they took hygiene materials (soap, brush and toothpaste, dressings) 2818 times,
  • 1184 times they came to wash the little clothes they have to look normal,
  • 1750 have received medical supplies and bandages to take care of their health,
  • 2497 were consulted on all topics related to their existence,
  • 43 people paid their health insurances and began treatment for Hepatitis C.

Just in the last few months, over a hundred people have gone to the doctor and received quality care for the first time, and on the ground we met over 468 people. In the last ten business days, we have tested for HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatiti B and Syphilis 98 people…

Please, help!

 

Drug consumption rooms are coming to Slovenia

Posted on by Milutin

After decades of advocacy by civil society, Slovenia finally approved the opening of the first drug consumption room in the country. In 2023, the Ministry of Health finally approved the opening of a supervised consumption room for two organizations – Stigma and Šent Nova Gorica. The NGO Šent Nova Gorica will open a supervised consumption room for sniffing, smoking, and injecting. Stigma plans to facilitate sniffing in the drop-in centre.

On this occasion Rights Reporter Foundation interviewed Katja Kranjc from the NGO Stigma.

The interview on this and other interesting topics of the Slovenian drug policy is available following this link>>>.

 

By youth for youth

Posted on by Milutin

The safety of young people in the nightlife, a topic of extreme importance for most young people, is often neglected. NGO Re Generacija, which has been putting this topic in the focus of its projects and programs aimed at a systemic approach to this topic for many years, invites to the event to promote the report on the results of the research and the Handbook for participation in public policies for organizations working with youth involved in nightlife and marginalized youth.

The event will be held on 25 January 2024 at the premises of the Office of Combating drugs, Palata Srbija, starting at 10:00. The event is organized with project partners Terra from Croatia and HOPS from North Macedonia and with the support of DPNSEE.

More about the event is available (in Serbian) following this link>>>.