ENCOD
  • News
  • Our Mission
    • About
    • Our Team
    • ENCOD MEMBERS
    • INFO FOR MEMBERS
    • IN THE PRESS
    • FAQ
  • Actions & Events
    • CAMPAIGNS
      • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM IS THE FIRST TEST OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS FOR PEOPLE WHO USE CANNABIS AS A MEDICINE
        • FREEDOM TO FARM POSTERS
        • FREEDOM TO FARM STICKERS
      • Cannabis Social Clubs
        • EXAMPLES OF CSC’S IN EUROPE
        • Cannabis Social Clubs in Aktion
        • HOW TO CREATE A CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUB
        • PROPOSAL TO REGULATE THE SELF CULTIVATION AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS IN BELGIUM
        • Catalonia regulates the Cannabis Social Clubs
        • WORKSHOP ‘HOW TO SET UP A CSC IN GERMANY’
      • 2017
      • 2014
      • 2010 – 2013
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
      • 1995 – 2005
      • EU LOBBY CAMPAIGN
        • 2011
        • 2010
        • 2009
        • 2008
        • 2007
        • 2006
        • 2005
        • 2004
    • AGENDA
    • EVENTS
    • ACTION APPEALS
  • Organisation
    • The Executive Committee
      • WORKING GROUPS
      • STUDIES
      • GENERAL ASSEMBLIES
      • FINANCES
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
  • Bulletins
  • Films & Videos
  • enEnglish
  • News
  • Our Mission
    • About
    • Our Team
    • ENCOD MEMBERS
    • INFO FOR MEMBERS
    • IN THE PRESS
    • FAQ
  • Actions & Events
    • CAMPAIGNS
      • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM IS THE FIRST TEST OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS FOR PEOPLE WHO USE CANNABIS AS A MEDICINE
        • FREEDOM TO FARM POSTERS
        • FREEDOM TO FARM STICKERS
      • Cannabis Social Clubs
        • EXAMPLES OF CSC’S IN EUROPE
        • Cannabis Social Clubs in Aktion
        • HOW TO CREATE A CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUB
        • PROPOSAL TO REGULATE THE SELF CULTIVATION AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS IN BELGIUM
        • Catalonia regulates the Cannabis Social Clubs
        • WORKSHOP ‘HOW TO SET UP A CSC IN GERMANY’
      • 2017
      • 2014
      • 2010 – 2013
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
      • 1995 – 2005
      • EU LOBBY CAMPAIGN
        • 2011
        • 2010
        • 2009
        • 2008
        • 2007
        • 2006
        • 2005
        • 2004
    • AGENDA
    • EVENTS
    • ACTION APPEALS
  • Organisation
    • The Executive Committee
      • WORKING GROUPS
      • STUDIES
      • GENERAL ASSEMBLIES
      • FINANCES
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
  • Bulletins
  • Films & Videos
  • enEnglish
April 10, 2008  |  By ENCOD In PRESS RELEASES FROM OTHERS

BE: STOP THE NARCOTISATION OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE STREET

arton1207

OPEN LETTER TO PATRICK JANSSENS, LORD MAYOR OF ANTWERPEN

OF SUPPORT GROUP ANTWERP DRUG USERS (STAD)

(for zero point one tolerance)


Antwerp, April 10th 2008

Dear lord mayor,

Many people are living on the squares and streets of Antwerp. These people do not have an easy life, as they are faced with a range of problems such as lack of opportunities, health problems, unemployment, loneliness, frustrations, homelessness and social exclusion. They belong to the most fragile groups in society.

However, the Antwerp city authorities do not consider people who live on the street as homeless, extremely impoverished or marginalised people. No, in Antwerp, people who live on the street are above all “drug users”. In Antwerp almost the entire social assistance to people who live on the streets is dominated by the word drugs. Social programmes for people who live on the street are being called “drug programmes”.

Someone who lives on the street needs a home, adequate health care, food, culture, activities, a worthy life, no matter if he/she uses drugs or not. Branding people who live on the streets as “drug users” can only lead to further social exclusion.

Everybody is a drug user, except for some very rare exceptions. Most of us have developed a daily habit of using different drugs: coffee, alcohol, tobacco, pain killers and sleeping pills. Do we therefore call everyone a “drug user”? No. We save that word in order to blacksheep those people who are in a weak position in the first place.

It is bad enough already that drugs are used as an excuse to regularly have the police “clean” the areas around De Coninckplein and harass and humilliate young people in Borgerhout, Berchem, het Kiel and Hoboken. It is hard to see what this systematic violation of universal human rights has to do with “drug prevention”.

Therefore we request you to eliminate every reference to drugs from all social programmes that are meant for people who live on the street. Stop the narcotisation of people who live on the street.

Hoping for a positive answer, we remain

Best wishes,

Joep Oomen

Philippe De Craene

Niek Everts

Johan Martens

Koen Calliauw

stad.jpg

Steunpunt Antwerpse Druggebruikers (STAD)

Lange Lozanastraat 14

2018 Antwerpen

Tel. 03 – 293 0886

Creative Commons License AttributionRepublish
Previous StoryCANNABIS SHOULD REMAIN CLASS C
Next StoryLEAD POISONING DUE TO ADULTERATED CANNABIS

Related Articles

  • arton5680
    CAN HEMP SAVE EUROPEAN ECONOMY?
  • arton5659
    Verdict Mambo Social Club raises more questions than answers

Recent posts

  • ENCOD General Assembly 2018 Press Release
  • Survey: European Civil Society on Drugs Report (ENCOD)
  • ENCOD General Assembly 2018
  • Welcome to the new ENCOD website!
  • ENCOD Bulletin 147: Thoughts for societies that use drugs.

Recent Comments

  • encod on A response to Bushka Bryndova’s letter to president Putin
  • encod on A response to Bushka Bryndova’s letter to president Putin
  • cureall on THE BEST WAY TO PRODUCE CANNABIS OIL
  • Michelle on 700 MEDICINAL USES OF CANNABIS SORTED BY DISEASE
  • encod on The demons in drug law reform: A critical look at regulation and stigma

Categories

Archives

Encod Gold Member

Sensi Seeds

Copyright ©2018 ENCOD. All Rights Reserved

  • enEnglish
×

REPUBLISHING TERMS

You may republish this article online or in print under our Creative Commons license.
You may not edit or shorten the text and you must attribute the article to ENCOD (www.encod.org) plus you must include the author’s name in your republication.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

License

Creative Commons License AttributionCreative Commons Attribution
BE: STOP THE NARCOTISATION OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE STREET