UNODC in Serbia marks the World Drug Day 2024

26 June 2024, Belgrade, Serbia: UNODC participated in the conference organized by the Office for Combating Drugs of the Government of Serbia to mark the World Drug Day with this year’s message: ’The evidence is clear: Invest in Prevention’. This year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking emphasizes the crucial need to invest in prevention strategies grounded in scientific evidence to mitigate the adverse effects of drug use, especially among vulnerable global populations.  A UNODC Regional Advisor on Drug Demand Reduction underscored the significance of evidence-based approaches outlined in the UNODC/WHO International Standards on Drug Use Prevention, and briefed about the recent UNODC activities implemented in Serbia and in South Eastern Europe. Over the past decade, the Region of South Eastern Europe has achieved significant progress by implementing evidence-based prevention programmes focused on enhancing family and life skills. This initiative has yielded positive outcomes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. These efforts underscore the importance of investing in prevention efforts, which have demonstrated a substantial return on investment, estimated to reach tenfold savings across health, social, and criminal justice systems.

UNODC Liaison Officer presented the World Drug Report 2024, highlighting its latest findings and trends, such as the growing supply and use of cocaine, especially in Europe. The quantities of cocaine consumed, as evidenced in wastewater, continued to increase in 2023 in cities in Western and Central and South-Eastern Europe, marking an 80 per cent increase since 2011. The increasing role of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe as a transit area for cocaine to western European markets was also highlighted. The Liaison Officer also briefed about the 2022 Taliban ban on the cultivation and production of opium in Afghanistan and its possible long-term implications for the heroin markets in Europe. Serbia’s current position along the Balkan Route was highlighted with an illustration of the most significant individual drug seizures in 2023, confirming importance for continued monitoring and technical assistance. The audience was encouraged to check out the online World Drug Report 2024 and explore its wealth of resources and statistical data.

National experts and participants from the Government institutions and Civil Society Organizations also contributed to the overall discussion on topics such as the role of the police in drug prevention, role of the CSOs in forming drug policies and assisting the local communities. A possible emergence of use of fentanyl in Serbia was also mentioned and it was agreed that this particular topic deserved a dedicated discussion.

 

More information.