On the occasion of 26 June – the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Special Hospital for Substance Abuse in Belgrade, Serbia, organised the international Symposium “Towards Changes” on 16 and 17 June. Topics included changes of trends in drug use, organising a network of institutions that provide treatment to addicts, including private medical services and local communities and prospective of further development of clubs for cured alcoholics and gamblers. Besides local medical experts, guests came from Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, FYRO Macedonia and Montenegro. Keynote speaker was Mr Antti Jearventaus from Finland who presented his work on use of Internet in fighting drugs, prevention and addiction treatment.
Irena Molnar, representing her NGO ReGeneracija and the DPNSEE Office (the only one from the NGO sector), was invited to participate in the open table dialogue with representatives from the region and to speak about involvement and use of resources of local community and organizations of civil society in resolving drug addiction.
Irena met and established contacts with many participants from different countries. Most important were those with Serbian Director of the Office for combating drugs, the Focal point and Office for monitoring of Ministry of Health, referring to EMCDDA and Director of the Special hospital for addictions. She presented DPNSEE and announced visits that we shall pay to countries of the Western Balkans.