The delegate of Italy addressed the High Level Meeting as follows:
“The Italian government has taken an extremely firm stance against the use of drugs and psychotropic substances.”
The delegate stated: “1. Drug consumption is illegal, there is no right to take drugs, not even occasionally = on this Italian law is firm; 2. All narcotic substances are equally damaging to human health with each triggering psychoactive effects; and, 3. – chronic drug addicts must always be seen as persons to be brought back to normal life and the state must guarantee each individual when it comes to treatment and cure. Our purpose must be to liberate addicts from drugs and so any intervention must aim to achieve the full recovery of the person and so he can reinsert himself into the market. Italy recognises the secondary prevention methods of drug abuse, related diseases, hepatitis, hiv, but such interventions must be seen as preventive of health damage by typical of behaviour of drug addicts and must minimise likelihood of crime and assist the full recovery of the person and not make the condition chronic. With respect to fundamental pillars above, the Italian Government plans to launch adequate policies increasing awareness of health damage caused by drugs. Italy is bringing into place drug testing for workers in safety–affecting jobs. We need to take a socio-sanitary approach. We are an ardent supporter of neuroscientific studies so that we can better understand how the brain is affected. Studies are under way to evaluate social actions that instead of stigmatising addicts offer a chance of job opportunities and the ability to become financially independent. Despite the determined efforts by law enforcement to fight drug trafficking at home and on the internet – we have developed a new early warning system. In a world increasingly worried that anything can produce negative effects on human health, we should not allow drugs to affect themselves on the insides, doing terrible damage to drug users as a whole. The battle can be won. We must provide greater support for normality and the many people who do not use drugs, and consider it reproachful.”