DUSHANBE, June 20, Asia-Plus — A seven-day (from June 18 to June 24) training for specialists working with drug-users and their relatives is ongoing in Dushanbe.
The main theme of the training is problem of dependence on psychoactive substances and codependency.
Skilled trainers from Kazakhstan have been invited to conduct the training, the source said.
Representatives from public associations from Dushanbe, the Sughd province and Gorno Badakhshan dealing with issues of reducing drug demand in the framework of DDRP (Most and RAN from Dushanbe, DINA and Buzurg from Sughd and Volunteer from Khorog) are participating in the training.
According to the source, such training is held in Tajikistan for the first time.
Drug Demand Reduction Program (DDRP) in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and the Ferghana Valley Region of Kyrgyzstan is funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The timeframe of the Program is 2002 – 2007. The DDRP’s preventive strategies are designed to take into account specific social risk factors of every target group.
The key components of the Program include: educating the target populations on drug-related issues; promoting healthy lifestyles; providing access to alternative occupational and leisure activities; assisting in solving social problems; supporting the development of pragmatic drug demand-reduction strategies at the national and local levels.
The basic principles of the Program imply to necessity to solve social problems related to involvement of vulnerable population groups in drug trafficking and drug use. Besides, partner organizations based on data from the previous researches and studies realize that drug demand reduction activities will be successful only if they cover all aspects of drug use.
Multi-component Program is based on strong and durable partner relationship between leading international organizations, which possess developed regional basis, connections, experience, and knowledge on implementing programs aimed at changing views and behavior of vulnerable population groups. During the implementation of the Program regular evaluations and monitoring of completion effectiveness are hold.
