Considering with dismay that the use of drugs, both narcotics and psychotropic substances, is still on the increase in the majority of the member countries ;
Noting that in the member states of the Council of Europe over the last few years there has been a major rise in the sale of cocaine, wider availability of heroin, the price of which has fallen, and an unprecedented increase in the use of cannabis which has benefited from the laxity of public opinion in some countries ;
Also noting that traditional narcotics have been joined by the dramatic appearance of new forms of abuse, such as multiple drug addiction, psychotropic drugs used for other than their therapeutic purpose, and the inhalation of glues, ether and solvents such as trichloroethylene ;
Alarmed by the fact that the average age of users is continuing to fall and ranges often from 13 to 16 ;
Noting that a large number of national and international bodies are studying means to control drugs, are carrying out experiments and are trying to take effective action, but that, unfortunately, the results obtained, in the form of penal action, reintegration or prevention, are very limited in comparison with the resources invested ;
Considering that, as regards co-ordination both on the national level (between the various departments such as medical officers, judges, social services and police) and on the European level (research, customs co-operation, the exchange of information, the establishing of common criteria), the position is far from satisfactory, and that, as a general rule, both theoretical and practical activities are conducted in isolation in each country with increasing duplication and waste of resources :
Recalling that over the last fifteen years the Council of Europe has made significant efforts in this field which have resulted in numerous recommendations by the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers, the most recent of which are Recommendation No. R (82) 5, on the prevention of drug addiction and the particular role of health education, and Resolution (73) 6, on the penal aspects of drug abuse ;
Noting that :
since this work started, it has been possible to begin a dialogue between the member states and to obtain some practical results, but it has not been possible to make any joint assessment of the effectiveness of preventative measures ;
it has proved impossible to produce comparable data to facilitate an exchange of national experiences ;
the preventative and educational approach is not sufficiently advanced, at least in some countries, compared with traditional control methods ;
finally, some striking differences have come to light as regards the punitive approach ;
Considering that the Committee of Ministers’ decision of 1980 to integrate the “Pompidou Group” (Co-operation Group to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking in drugs) — set up in 1971 to enable close multidisciplinary co-operation — into the Council of Europe, as the Assembly had asked in Recommendation 843 (1978), is a step forward :
Welcoming the final declaration of the 7th Ministerial Conference of the Pompidou Group Ministers and its positive outcome ;
Noting with satisfaction the recent decision of the Spanish Government to join in the Pompidou Group, thus bringing up the number of members to fourteen ;
Believing that the problem of drugs, like that of violence, is linked to wider problems of modern society such as increasing stress, unemployment, leisure time or uncertainty about values ;
Recalling its Recommendation 963 (1983), on cultural and educational means of reducing violence,
Recommends that the Committee of Ministers draw up, as part of its medium-term plan, a consistent multidisciplinary strategy for the fight against drug abuse and trafficking, using all the resources of the Council of Europe and paying particular attention to the following proposals :