ANTONIO ESCOBAR RUIZ

My experience with drug policy reform: On one hand, I have some practical street experience in interventions in drug dependence, as I belong to the Association on Drug Dependence Ariadna, of Córdoba,, and also because I am currently director of the Meeting and Care Centre CEA La Línea de la Concepción (in Cádiz). This experience has allowed me to understand that the course of current drug policies is wrong and needs to be changed. I have also been president of the Union of Associations and Entities on Drug Treatment and currently of the Andalusian Federation on Drug Dependence and Aids ENLACE. In both entities, specially in the second, I have shared processes of common reflection that has helped us to analyse the current policies in terms of drugs and we demand since years a radical change of these policies. Finally, I wish to indicate that my experience in Latin America, where I was living for some time, has enrichened my view to the reality of drug policies, its repercussions in the civil population and the need to take a different road.

My opinion on Encod: I believe the work of Encod is fundamental because today, it is the only voice in the European field that firmly claims the need to change drug policies. Besides, I share the methodology of Encods work, as it has a notably constructive character in the elaboration and diffusion of proposals and alternatives to the current drug policy.

In the coming two years I wish to contribute to Encod in the following way: Besides participating in all the tasks that belong to the Steering Committee, I wish to strengthen Encods role in Spain through the following three goals:

1) Give impulse and consolidate the coordination between the organisations that are member of Encod in Spain, with initiatives such as a regular contact with all of them and the designation of a reference person per organisation in order to facilitate coordination and communication or celebration of an annual meeting

2) Agree on common guidelines and proposals that help to realise common sensibilisation and information campaigns on drug policies.

3) Increase Encods profile in Spain, making known the Coalition, its objectives and actions among social and institutional actors, as well as among the public. .

I would be a good SC member because of: My experience in the field of drugs and dependencies. The certainty that Encod needs the active collaboration of all its members and the desire to assume this responsability during this period.

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