"The EU strategy against drugs is essentially based on the search for a balance between prevention and education on one side, and the repression of producers and pushers on the other side": Franco Frattini, vice-president of the EU Commission, in charge of justice, freedom and security, illustrated today the work being done by the EU in this sphere, on the occasion of the World Day against Drug abuse and trafficking that has been fixed by the UN. In the twenty-five member states, "the death toll of drugs is 8,000 people a year, mostly young men aged 20 to 30. In addition, added the commissioner, according to our estimates, the total number of deaths might be three times as much, if we include the deaths resulting from the indirect effects of drug addiction, such as Aids, pushing, violence, suicide …". "The balance between public health and repression added Frattini during a conference in Brussels, assisted by commissioners Benita Ferrero‑Waldner (foreign relations) and Markos Kyprianou (health and consumer protection) echoes the balance between the citizens’ rights and public security", and in this sense "close cooperation is needed with those who are in charge of drug addition in civil society". (to be continued)
