The aim of the project is to improve professional competencies of Georgian specialists from public institutions and non-governmental organizations in the filed of drug prevention based on EU best practice and to establish online drug counselling centre in Georgia for dependent individuals, their families and anyone interested in the problem of drugs and drug addiction.

The Project is implemented under the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs program „Polish aid”  (www.polskapomoc.gov.pl).

Amongst 35 conference participants there was representatives of Georgian ministries of: Health and Justice, orthodox church, local media and NGOs and the representative of the Polish Embassy in Tbilisi.

During the conference representatives of the national Bureau for Drug Prevention presented information on the „Drug prevention in Georgia” project, structure of drug prevention system and law regulations in Poland as well as methods of monitoring and evaluation of the Polish drug strategy. Merkury Foundation presented the Polish experience in the field of internet counseling and benefits of such type of services. Moreover the Merkury Foundation presented role of the NGOs in drug prevention system in Poland.

The Georgian conference participants provided us with information on the epidemiology of the drug phenomenon stressing that despite of 40 000 injection drug users in Georgia access to treatment is still very limited. The new emerging trend, apart from poly drug use becomes desomorphine (so called “crocodile”) that has displaced significantly more expensive heroine.

Representative of the Georgian orthodox church shown the important role of the local church in the process of recovery from drug addiction and prevention of the phenomenon.

The conference organized In Tbilisi as well as the idea of the „Drug prevention in Georgia” project have met with a warm reception from our Georgian partners. The next activity in the framework of the project will be a training of the Georgian internet counseling centre specialists in May in Tbilisi conducted by the Merkury Foundation specialists.