The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the central UN policy-making body in drug-related matters, opens its 60th session in Vienna (13–17 March 2017). The CND meets every year to discuss the global state of drug control and to adopt resolutions to guide the way forward. An EMCDDA delegation is attending the event and, throughout the week, will provide technical support to the European Commission and EU Member States as well as participate in a series of side events.
News from the EMCDDA delegation
Visitors are welcome to the EMCDDA publications stand on the first floor of the M-building.
Tuesday 14 March
Side event: Health responses to New psychoactive substances
2.20–3.10 p.m., conference room M4
Organised by the Governments of New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and the UNODC Laboratory and Scientific Section.
While prevalence levels of NPS use remain low in the general European population, there are important concerns with more problematic forms of use and harms. This short report provides an overview of the current situation in terms of NPS use and harms across Europe and reviews the available health- and drug-related interventions in that area. Read the EMCDDA publication on this topic >>
Wednesday 15 March
Side event: Alternatives to coercive sanctions as response to drug law offences and drug-related crimes
9.00–9.50 a.m., conference room M7
Organised by the Governments of Malta, the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organisations in Vienna, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and KETHEA.
Based on the options provided by the international drug control legal framework, this paper considers the rehabilitative measures of treating, educating or reintegrating drug users as alternatives or additions to conviction or punishment that are established in the laws of many countries in Europe today. Read the EMCDDA publication on this topic >>
Side event: COPOLAD: Building evidence-based criteria for policymaking on drugs
1.10–2.00 p.m., conference room M3
Organised by the European Commission.
Thursday 16 March
Side event: The S-O-S Initiative: emergency community management of heroin and opioid overdose including interim naloxone
9.00–9.50 a.m., conference room M3
Organised by the Governments of Estonia, the United Kingdom, Norway and the United States, the UNODC Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, the World Health Organization, and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
Each year, between 6 300 and 8 000 drug-induced deaths are reported in Europe. Opioids, mainly heroin or its metabolites, are present in most overdose cases. With appropriate intervention many opioid overdose deaths may be preventable. Naloxone is a life-saving overdose reversal drug that rapidly counteracts the effects of opioids. It has been used in emergency medicine in hospitals and by ambulance personnel since the 1970s to reverse the respiratory depression caused by opioid overdose. Read the EMCDDA publication on this topic >>
Friday 17 March
Side event: Do we need drug demand reduction standards?
9.00–9.50 a.m., conference room M3
Organised by the Government of Poland, the Polish National Bureau for Drug Prevention and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
