96. Points out that more than 90% of heroin in Europe originates from Afghanistan and that the cost to public health in European countries runs into billions of dollars; emphasises that the challenges posed by the drug economy in Afghanistan must be tackled not only nationally but internationally by addressing all links in the drug chain and that this requires, in particular, assistance to farmers to reduce supply, as well as drug prevention and treatment to curb demand, and law enforcement against the intermediaries; proposes, in p ...[+++]articular, massive investment in the establishment of a comprehensive agricultural and rural policy to offer opium producers a credible, lasting alternative; insists also on the need to integrate environment into the agriculture and rural strategy, as degradation of the environment – caused for instance by poor management of water resources or the destruction of natural forest – is one of the main barriers to the development of the agricultural economy;

8. Points out that more than 90% of heroin in Europe originates from Afghanistan and that the cost to public health in European countries runs into billions of dollars; recalls that the challenges posed by the drug economy in Afghanistan must be tackled not only nationally but internationally by addressing all links of the drug chain, which requires in particular; assistance to farmers to reduce supply; drug prevention and treatment to curb demand, and ...[+++] law enforcement against the intermediaries; in particular, proposes massive investment in the establishment of a comprehensive agricultural and rural policy which offers opium producers a credible, lasting alternative; insists also upon the need to integrate environment in the agriculture and rural strategy as degradation of the environment, caused for instance by poor management of water resources or the destruction of natural forest, is one of the main barrier to the development of agricultural economy;

Europe has used many enlightened policies at a Community level to tackle heroin abuse, and in many ways it is leading the world on how to tackle the problem through its treatment and other such programmes.

The total number of people in the EU who have at some time taken drugs (lifetime prevalence) — is estimated at 70 million for cannabis, at least 12 million for cocaine, 9,5 million for ecstasy, and 11 million for amphetamines, while at least half a million people are known to be receiving substitution treatment for drugs like heroin (4),

These programmes are also effective in increasing treatment retention and can help to stabilise and improve the health and social conditions of chronic heroin users.

When I met her, I gave her the following mandate: to give an overview of the narcotic drug consumption situation in Canada, particularly among young people, the disadvantaged and the aboriginal people, and of the economic and social cost relating to it; to explain how legislation on legal and illegal drugs works in Canada; to present the terms of international conventions that Canada must follow in its own drug control policies and to ascertain if Canada directly met these terms when it amended its legislation by passing, in 1996, Bill C-8 on the use of marijuana, methadone and heroin for therapeutic uses; to study the link between dr ...[+++]ug use and respect for human rights as defined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly with respect to the use of narcotic drugs such as marijuana, methadone and heroin for medical purposes; to present the experiments conducted in other countries like the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, the United States, Germany and Australia, to fight drug use in their communities and develop harm reduction policies; to examine drug use in Canadian penitentiaries and verify whether prisoners have access to treatment and syringe exchange programs, in conformity with their fundamental rights; to explain thoroughly the workings of the strategy for reducing wrongdoings and list the options that Canadians have available to them to reduce the negative impact of drug use in society; and finally, to develop alternatives to improve the current drug use control system in Canada.