Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1395902
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JULY 2021 OPINION COVID-19 CLOSED upon all of our society. For all those who are unfamil- iar, the "Just say no" campaign was an international anti-drugs campaign started by the Regan administration in the USA in the 80s. It was an abstinence market- ing campaign which grouped everything from alcohol to heroin to marijuana into one big bogeyman that should be avoided at all costs. And while the initial idea was a good one, studies from the 2000s clearly show that not only were these campaigns and policies ineffec- tive in achieving the goals they set out to achieve, but they were also counter-productive. So what does work? Here the science is clear. The only manner of tackling addiction in individuals and society as a whole in a way which is based on best prac- tice, throughout research and human rights, is through harm reduction policies. Harm re- duction policies are rooted in justice and human rights by fo- cusing on positive change and by working with people with- out judgement, discrimination or coercion. Harm reduction has no preconditions for sup- port, and seeks to work with the person seeking assistance, not against them. It puts peo- ple at the centre of policy, and ensures that the addiction the person faces is looked at from a deeper, more empathetic and humanistic level- and this is what we need. For as long as humanity has been around, humans have turned to various substances, actions or vices to escape their realities. And for the longest time, we have tried to deter hu- manity from doing this and this is the right approach indeed. Everyone deserves to be able to live a fulfilling and happy life sober. But we have been doing it wrong. For the longest time, we have been having the wrong conversation, with the wrong people and in the wrong set- ting- but finally, this is chang- ing. Slowly, more and more gov- ernments are moving away from these regressive poli- cies around addiction, and are adopting a more human rights based approach to the con- versation revolving addiction. Harm reduction is now arriving in the forefront of our policies and yes, we must all be ready to embrace this change our socie- ties so desperately need. I be- lieve that the European Union stands at the perfect place to be the leader in this change in treating addictions. It is with this in mind that I'm working in the European Parliament to be part of this change. Cyrus Engerer is a Labour MEP (S&D) So what does work? Here the science is clear. The only manner of tackling addiction in individuals and society as a whole in a way which is based on best practice, throughout research and human rights, is through harm reduction policies