The declaration, signed by the Ministry of Health, seeks to transform political commitments into concrete operational measures to protect populations, especially the youngest and most vulnerable, from the consequences of illicit substance use.
The agreement, reached during a high-level international meeting on addiction prevention and recovery organized by Italy and France, co-founders of the European Coalition Against Drugs, emphasizes the sharing of best practices among States to achieve better results.
The strategy focuses on evidence-based prevention, quality treatment and care, and recovery and social reintegration, prioritizing cooperation between health, social services, education, justice, local authorities, and civil society.
“As the drug landscape evolves rapidly, our policies must anticipate changes, strengthen the early identification of emerging threats, with timely, proportionate, and effective measures,” stated Joana Teixeira, president of the Institute for Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies (ICAD), representing the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins.
The ICAD official added that “it is necessary to protect people from the harms arising from substance use, while addressing the risks associated with illicit drug markets. The Rimini Declaration offers an opportunity to translate these principles into a shared political commitment.”
The meeting took place at the San Patrignano Community in Coriano (Rimini), Europe's largest therapeutic rehabilitation community, founded in 1978 to combat the heroin epidemic. The recovery program, entirely free of charge, hosts about a thousand people and provides vocational training and social reintegration.
