At the Ministry of the Interior, during the campaign’s inauguration, a pact against legal highs was signed. Many people have already joined the campaign, including media representatives, members of the academic community, athletes, institutions and non-governmental organisations.
“The beginning of July has brought a tragic tally of poisonings caused by legal highs, but also very intensive police operations—80 kg of substances seized and more than 170 people detained. These intensive efforts by state institutions that have declared war on legal highs require far more wide-ranging action. These efforts must be based on people who have particular authority among young people. That is why it is so valuable that people with authority, such as Jurek Owsiak and Marcin Gortat, have joined our campaign,” Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz said during the campaign’s inauguration.
The campaign aims to raise young people’s awareness of the dangers associated with taking legal highs. It is also intended for parents, teachers and others who come into contact with young people. Since July, more than 1,000 people have been poisoned by these dangerous substances. In addition to police operations focused on apprehending people distributing drugs, prevention activities and a public-awareness campaign have also been planned.
“This is our joint pact against legal highs. Every institution must seek increasingly effective means and act more efficiently. Coordinating these efforts is essential, which is why the Ministry of the Interior and the National Bureau for Drug Prevention will coordinate anti-legal-high activities and initiatives. Once a month, we will invite public institutions, non-governmental organisations, the media, academic communities and young people to monitor all activities, define new problems and seek other solutions in the fight against legal highs. Let every life saved be our goal and our message,” said Minister Teresa Piotrowska during the ceremony at which the pact was signed.
The campaign’s inauguration was accompanied by the premiere of a spot prepared by the community of the Police Headquarters’ “Prevention and You” programme. The spot will be broadcast on Telewizja Polska.
PaT is an abbreviation of the programme’s name, “Prevention and You”. The value of this initiative lies in the people who want to act for the benefit of others. The programme focuses on peer prevention (young people themselves, by becoming involved in prevention activities, encourage others to live free from addictions). Over 10 years, PaT has brought together approximately 300,000 people. Ninety youth groups across Poland take part in it.
A Facebook profile for the “Legal Highs Steal Lives” campaign has also been launched: facebook.com/dopalaczekradnazycie. It will publish, among other things, updates about the campaign, information about police activities and photographs of people who have joined the initiative.
A map of anti-legal-high initiatives has also been launched. The website www.msw.gov.pl/dopalaczekradnazycie contains a complete list of prevention activities undertaken or planned in connection with the fight against these dangerous substances. The list already includes nearly 50 initiatives conducted by various institutions, including the police and the Ministry of National Education. Everyone—individuals, institutions or organisations—planning to conduct their own campaign is encouraged by the organisers to contact them by email at dopalaczekradnazycie@msw.gov.pl.
The pact against legal highs was signed, among others, by Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, Teresa Piotrowska, Minister of the Interior, Borys Budka, Minister of Justice, Marian Zembala, Minister of Health, Andrzej Halicki, Minister of Administration and Digitalisation, Urszula Augustyn, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Education, and Police Inspector General Cezary Popławski, Deputy Chief of Police. The campaign was additionally supported by the Ombudsman for Children, the Municipal Office in Wyszków, the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association, Polskie Radio, FAKT and Pedagogium. Jerzy Owsiak and Marcin Gortat became ambassadors of the campaign.
As part of the campaign, the Ministry of the Interior also announced an open call for proposals for activities aimed at combating legal highs.
Działania rządu w walce z dopalaczami są:
msw.gov.pl/mg/ii