“When it comes to prevention, it’s better to do nothing than to do anything,” was the phrase that marked the start of the eighth training on the European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC). Why this is the case, you can read further below.

Addiction prevention is often interpreted as something everyone can do or something everyone should be involved in. While the desire for change and a better society is commendable, it is not sufficient for effective work in this field. Traditional approaches, still in use, are not only outdated but have also proven ineffective, often causing harm rather than providing help. The Association for Addiction Prevention NARKO-NE is dedicated to scientifically-based addiction prevention and actively works on educating key individuals for shaping and implementing preventive programs through training on the European Prevention Curriculum.

NARKO-NE has already conducted seven EUPC trainings in various cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and on April 17th and 18th, 2024, the eighth training was held in Livno, at the Novitas Hotel. The training brought together experts from various institutions involved in the implementation of preventive programs, with the aim of improving the approaches used in addiction prevention.

The training leaders, Amir Hasanović, Executive Director of NARKO-NE, and Andrea Mijatović, Deputy Executive Director, shared their knowledge and experience, and through interactive methods enabled participants to clearly see how theoretical principles can be applied in practice.

The main goal of the European Prevention Curriculum education is to expand the circle of experts engaged in effective prevention and to provide comprehensive global information on the best preventive interventions. Most participants came with the expectation of acquiring new knowledge and understanding what scientifically-based prevention actually involves. Whether their expectations were met and how they can apply this education in their further work is reflected in the statement provided by Nadija Bandić, Assistant to the Minister in the Federal Ministry of Education and Science:

I was reminded of Russian formalists who speak about the de-automation of perception, that is, presenting positive things in an unusual way. That’s exactly what I experienced in this education. What I thought I knew about preventive programs was shown to me in a completely different light, especially regarding which intervention procedures are effective and which can be harmful. Everything I heard about the European Prevention Curriculum, we will strive to integrate into a very significant document that will be adopted at the level of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has adopted an initiative by the Federal Ministry of Education and Science and the NARKO-NE Association to create the first comprehensive integrated strategy for addiction prevention. For the first time, such a document will be created at the level of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Through the EUPC training, NARKO-NE aims to strengthen evidence-based preventive programs and ensure that decision-makers are well-informed about the importance of abandoning outdated traditional approaches. After Livno, EUPC trainings will also be held in other cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina to increase the number of experts involved in effective prevention, making them more widely represented across all parts of the country.

Anisa Čelik