The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is celebrated on 26/06/2016 under the slogan “Listen First”.

This slogan points to the importance of hearing what the children and the youth say, and that it is the first step in their healthy and safe raising, diminishing thus the risk of drug abuse, as well as to the importance of preventive activities that would develop defensive abilities at the young ones for easier facing drug abuse challenges in development periods of life. 

The campaign is directed towards all those who have important role in raising and educating the young ones in their development- parents, teachers, decision makers, healthcare workers (particularly in the field of prevention) as well as general population. Such campaigns are directed towards development of family skills as well as programs developing social skills of the youth, as well as preventive ways for fighting addictions; they are cost friendly in multiple ways and they should not be observed as an expense. First of all, prevention enables young people to become a productive part of the community and to give their full contribution to the community’s development, and, additionally, potential treatment costs for addicts are decreased. 

The Office for Combating Drugs, in cooperation with all partners implementing the prevention program, will work on its further strengthening, aimed at preventing drug abuse, particularly among the youth.

More information about campaign are available on the following link: http://www.unodc.org/listenfirst/

Campaign video material can be downloaded on the following link: http://bit.ly/1XUYi1j

You can download and adapt campaign package for social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin.) on the following website: http://bit.ly/1ZcjTAO