Synergies can be found, for example, in the area of research, where the Drugs Action Plan calls for research on effective intervention to prevent HIV/AIDS and research on identifying protective factors in countries with low HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among drug users.

Although AIDS has brought together people with varying motivations and many different approaches to drug users, it is still the case that traditional morality dominates public policy, and harm reduction strategies essentially represent an emergency response to AIDs rather than a change in social values.

I have a private member's motion, Motion No. 358, that deals with four particular points: reducing consumption; preventing substance abuse through the head start program which was passed by the House in 1998, yet the government has done nothing about it, but the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia are moving in that area; reducing trade barriers so that countries like Colombia can produce other substances; and reducing consumption here so that wars, for example, in Colombia will be stopped, which are driv ...[+++]en by drug consumption in North America.

Pursuant to Article 152 (formerly Article 129) of the TEU, the Community action programme on drug addiction aims to encourage and facilitate activities involving high-risk groups in particular situations, to promote the identification, development, testing and use of the best methods to ensure the dissemination of information, to promote education and training initiatives with the aim of de ...[+++]veloping strategies for prevention, to support work on early detection and on advice for drug users and to promote social rehabilitation and reintegration.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THE MINISTERS FOR HEALTH OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL, Having regard to the Treaties establishing the European Communities, Having regard to their common approach to combating AIDS, worked out in 1986 and subsequently expanded (1), Remain concerned by the increase in the AIDS epidemic in the Member States of the Community and by its social, economic, legal and ethical consequences; Recall their conclusions of 16 May 1989 (2) affirming that contamination by drug injection is a major concern of the health authorities; Stress the very considerable efforts made by all Member S ...[+++]tates in the fields of research, treatment and prevention as well as the major endeavour to coordinate research at Community level; Note that, in spite of encouraging progress achieved in research, effective vaccines and treatment will not be widely available for several years; Reiterate the importance of international cooperation, in particular with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Council of Europe; Consider it advisable to reaffirm and specify, for the attention of all European citizens, the principles which should guide them in preventing and combating AIDS; Draw attention also to their conclusions of 15 May 1987 (3) in which they decided to draw up an action and coordination plan for adoption by the Member States and at Community level; Therefore agree to step up the coordination of national and Community projects and promote activities of common interest.

These will be directed towards actions : - to encourage and facilitate activities targeted at high risk groups in specific settings; - to promote the identification, development, testing and use of best practices for disseminating information and providing advice to target groups; - to promote initiatives in the field of education and training in order to develop drug prevention strategies; - to support work on early detection a ...[+++]nd counselling of drug users; and - to promote the rehabilitation and the social integration of drug addicts.