Addressing and improving policies on problematic drug use in Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the priorities of the COPOLAD III Program, with special emphasis on what affects the most vulnerable groups. For this reason, together with the Ibero-American Network of NGOs working on Drugs and Addictions (RIOD) and the American Network for Intervention in Situations of Social Suffering (RAISSS), it has promoted a new guide of good practices based on the need to work with populations in vulnerable situations and with greater difficulties in accessing care services.
The document proposes a sustainable solution that transcends the conventional vision: to look beyond the individual as a mere recipient of a service, observing communities as the place where people interact, taking into account the characteristics of the territory, its vulnerabilities and also its resources.
The guide presents 22 experiences in Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union, reflecting different methodological models for addressing vulnerabilities at the territorial level, aimed at different populations: street population, drug users in general, women, youth and children, persons deprived of liberty, ethnic minorities, migrants, other gender identities. These experiences are collected to serve as practical examples of how to implement drug policies at the territorial level. In addition, experiences of local, regional and international networks have been identified, as well as experiences of community collective economy development. The importance of incorporating these interventions into the political agenda is highlighted, without losing the need to work in, with and from the community.
