On 20–21 May 2008 the Civil Society Forum on Drugs in the European Union assembled in Brussels for its second meeting.1 Its purpose was to give constructive feedback to the European Commission for the new EU Action Plan on Drugs 2009-2012.2

•  EU drug policy must be based on the principles of public health and human rights. The principles of non-stigmatisation and non-discrimination need to be emphasised.
• Co-ordination between civil society, EU institutions and member states should be strengthened and encouraged.
• Specific attention should be paid to the needs of particularly vulnerable groups, gender differences, parents, youth and adolescents, migrants, ethnic minorities and drug users.
• The new action plan should promote the development of quality standards in demand reduction, including prevention, treatment, harm reduction and social rehabilitation and reintegration.
•  The quantity and quality of data collection should be improved.
•  Responses to polydrug use need to be strengthened and the links between drugs, alcohol and drescription drugs should be further explored.
• The action plan should pay attention to the relationship between drug use and mental health problems.
• In co-operation with third countries, the new action plan should advocate alternative development, while taking into account poverty and social deprivation.
• The action plan should try to improve the situation in prisons, important places for prevention, education and rehabilitation programmes, and the support to drug users after release from prison.
•  Efforts should be made to reduce drug-related deaths by making available treatment or harm reduction services.
• Coverage of, access to and effectiveness of drug demand reduction measures should be improved.
•  Substitution programmes should be made more effective and integrated with other programmes.