Resultative anti-drug management

In International center of anti-drug policy of Saint Petersburg State University at February, 14&15 training seminar for representatives of Karelian local authorities �Resultative anti-drug management� was held.

At the seminar were heads or vice heads  of  local authorities from Belomorsk, Kem, Segeza and other regions of Karelia who are responsible for prophylactics of drug abusing.

How to stop drug dissemination on the territory of an administrative region? The seminar was devoted to solving this problem. Its` main theme was innovative model of complex program �Town (region) without drugs�.

-         The main thing is that local authorities should take a responsibility of solving this problem themselves, not waiting when it will be solved at federal level, - Georgii Zazulin, coordinator of International center and representative of ECAD in Russia, consider. Recently  good basis for solving such problems at region level appeared. At October, 28, 2001 the Safety Council of Russian Federation accepted Statement �About measures of  improving sate policy in sphere of drug dissemination in the country�. In article 4 it stated; � To recommend to heads of authorities of  subjects of Russian Federation together with representatives of president in federal regions�to make regional and municipal anti-drug programs and support its` financing; to form coordination anti-drug organs and support its` cooperation with corresponding structures at federal level in federal regions.�

-         There were a lot of such programs weren�t there? What interfere to be them effective?

-         We should reject bad practice of struggle by official organs. Who is responsible for problems of drug abusing? Militia and medicine. But if problem concerns three or four organs it will be not solved for a long time! The root of solving problem is in educating authorities, in connecting knowledge and authority ( may by as a vicemayor who would be responsible for results of struggle against drug abusing in a region)� Programs are being written everywhere, but they are not special-purposed. Saying figural, we have musicians and good ones. But we have no conductor and score. Everyone plays melodies he likes. First of all we should understand what kind of anti-drug conductor we want to see and what kind of score in the �symphony� he should have. Discussion at the seminar was divided to 5 modules. Each of  them was devoted to one part, one aim, together they solved one common problem. A resultative management of militia department, education department, health department, youth policy, sport, tourism groups and other anti-drug powers (mass media, court of low, church, social organization etc.) � discussing of questions within this modules was both interesting and resultative. When I saw visiting card of  Konstatin Barezhev, manager of Tacis project �Antinarcota� from Kostomuksha, I said that surprised with fact that project is called by slang word.In the name of project its` purpose and content are concluded. Slang reflects style of youth behavior.  Kostomuksha is the youngest (20 years) and the most perspective town in Karelia. In our region storage of ore  was discovered, then mining plant was built which is called �Karelskii okatish� of �Severstal� holding. It is town-forming plant. In November of the last year presentation of 18 small projects Tacis took place in Saint-Petersburg. All projects were small, that is period of their realization was not more than 18 month and budget not more than 200 000 euro. Amongst them was our project called �Antinarkota�. This project is between municipality of Kostomuksha and Kajaani (Finland). We are united by one idea � increasing of effectiveness of  struggle against drugs, exchange by experience, now how.

-  How important problem of struggle against drugs for your town?

-  Very important because of specifics of our town. The town is youth one, most of population is younger than 30 years old. And we want our youth to stay in Kostomuksha, to feel comfortably. All activities of  the project are purposed for that. Our town is member of ECAD. We are very interested in activities of this organization. When I was going here I hoped to meet specialists from Kem, Sortavala, Petrozavodsk, Segeza, to get known about experience of their struggle against drugs.

-         Does training at seminar influence on development of your project? Are you going to correct it according to ECAD recommendations?

-         One of the principles of Tacis projects is openness. Though �Antinarkota� project has its` specifics. It is not militia, medical or sport, but mainly informational. We want to give more correct information to children, parents, medical workers, social workers � about harmful and destructive action of drugs. About how to get back to normal life. About values of healthy way of living. Our project is not state one, not commercial. We are creating new system of motivation, fashion of healthy way of living� At the seminar it is discussed in details how to write special-purposed programs concerning struggle with drug abusing. But we have different criteria. We make sociological researches to evaluate effectiveness of our programs. Questioning of youth, parents and specialists help us to evaluate involvement of them into our activities. For instance, this year we had �Onezskie starti� competition and we took part in it actively. We proposed our prizes; t-shirts, caps, back bags with project logotype. We also participate in organization of  bard song concerts, rock concerts, help to youth collectives. I am planning to report of results of this seminar to local authorities, to make a presentation at commission against illegal drug dissemination, to give information to Finnish partners of the project, to give interview.