Organized by Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation, and Turkish Green Crescent Society and UNODC Drug Prevention and Health Branch.
Elizabeth Mattfeld, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, Drug Prevention and Health Branch, UNODC: UNODC Handbook on Youth Participation in Drug Prevention Work. We have meaningful engagement of youth. Youth driving creation of this document. Defines youth participation, involvement, empowerment, prevention, and risk factors. Based on the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention. Consider personnel resources in engaging youth. Must select youth purposefully. Participation needs to be meaningful and genuine. Thank you to the Youth Forum.
Alberto Alexander Matheus Melendez, Venezuela: Actions reoriented towards humanitarian approach. Steps for prevention include games, sports, cinema, and music. We have spaces for kids to gain knowledge. Reflect on how to use their time and make their education stronger. Every actor in the family and community focuses on different schools to work on prevention. Prevention in schools. Community very important for us. We use the prevention project to make sure they belong to a community. Whoever has leadership and goals can bring together other kids. Positive leadership brings kids to work with them. Interdisciplinary groups. We have reached more than 5 million people through our activities. Campaigns of awareness to show consequences of drug abuse. We are working on protocols for early detection of drug abuse. We want to make sure we reach them early with prevention. Also helps in the jails.
Shahryar Khan Afridi, Pakistan: Take pride in highlighting resolution 61/2 on strengthening efforts to prevent drug use in educational settings. Learned through our experiences that most effective way to prevent use is to ensure active targeted drug abuse prevention campaigns. Initiative of youth ambassador program. Awareness against drug abuse. Sharing of expertise will pave the way towards success against this menace. Learning experiences will enable us to foster our efforts towards more informed and objective measures.
Timur Isakov, Kyrgyzstan: In recent years, the number of people using drugs has decreased. This positive trend is threatened by emergence of new psychoactive substances. Cannot track new and developing psychoactive substances. Shift the focus towards preventative efforts. Young people should become the object and subject of prevention efforts. Actively participate on an equal basis. Glad to be an organizer of this side event as well as a cosponsor of resolution L5. We will do our best to ensure a future without drugs.
Tran Le Duy, Vietnam: Development of many drugs and drug crimes in recent years. Prevention is better than cure. Our government adopted a number of measures. For the central government, a plan of action was adopted in 2018. Universities and schools shall add subjects on drug prevention. Requested to prevent and eliminate drug use. Objectives are to raise awareness on the impacts of drugs and knowledge of regulations against drug crimes, including strict punishments. Local authorities hold campaigns to facilitate rehabilitation. Stable jobs are the most important factor to keep them away from drug abuse. Can prevent them from drug abuse. Organizing workshops to discuss new psychoactive substances and psychotropic substances. Researching to develop education in rehabilitation centres. Prevention and rehabilitation measures as alternatives to compulsory rehabilitation centres, detention centres, and prisons.
Yasin Erol, Turkish Green Crescent Society: 100 year anniversary. Life skills program. Life skills defined as abilities for adaptive and positive behaviours to deal with demands and challenges of everyday life. Customized to age of youth. Contests for youth. Social innovations for workshops. Starts with international call for youth to be part of the Youth Commission. Members are former young volunteers. Mission is to determine the needs of youth and guide their management level. Youth camps. Peer trainers. Global advocacy. International youth platform. Touch their own regional policies as well. Promote leadership to mobilize youth in their country.
Valery Savelyev, Russia: Spread of drugs is a direct threat to the world community. Implementing state anti-drug policy. Main areas are distribution of best practices, grant support, science and education forums, promoting health lifestyles, and carrying out anti-drug month. All-Russian Youth Forum Campaign. More than 1 million youth participated in 2019. Russia is using project approach technologies in the field of drug prevention.
Nikita Lushnikov, Russia: As the Russian NGO working in rehabilitation, expecting the concurrency between opioids and synthetic drugs. In fact it didn’t happen, and synthetics continue to dominate. First cases of poisoning of schoolchildren with tobacco mixtures were recorded. Carried out forensic medical examination and found results including poppy from Afghanistan were among the contents. Grateful to our government that they responded to this quickly. We work with children and teenagers to plan sessions, training, and lectures. Also target parents and teachers.
Valeria Polyakova, Russia: Activities carried out by youth movement are achieving positive results. Young people are assured there is always an alternative to drugs, such as sports, volunteer movements, youth associations, and many more.