Change for the better is possible, but only when the initiators of change know exactly the path they need to take. It is well-known that addiction problems are very common in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, what is not yet sufficiently recognized is that not all prevention is good and effective. In fact, many approaches used in BiH are not only outdated but often have effects opposite to those intended. This is why the Association for Addiction Prevention NARKO-NE, through training on the European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC), strives to educate key individuals on scientifically-based prevention and the implementation of truly effective preventive programs.
NARKO-NE has already held eight EUPC trainings, and on June 5 and 6, 2024, the ninth training was held in Bihać at the Emporium Hotel. The training was attended by experts from various institutions who are directly or indirectly involved in the implementation of preventive programs.
The training leaders, Amir Hasanović, Executive Director of NARKO-NE, and Sanela Pekić, Prevention Programs Specialist in School Environments at NARKO-NE, shared their knowledge and experience on this topic, demonstrating through various methods how theoretical principles can and should be applied in practice.
The main goal of the EUPC training is to expand the number of experts working in the field of addiction prevention and to provide information on effective preventive interventions.
One of the training participants was Nejra Nesimović, a psychologist and psychotherapist. Here are her observations and impressions after the training:
Although we only scratched the surface, there was interesting and useful information. Some knowledge ‘surprised’ me and helped me change my perspective on this issue. I learned that bringing in former addicts and conducting campaigns full of information on why you shouldn’t do something are actually counterproductive. As a systemic family therapist, I believe it is important to work with other systems, to collaborate so that the results are as effective as possible because in practice I encounter parents who are helpless, lost, and alone in dealing with this problem, and this training provided some guidance.
Through the European Prevention Curriculum training, NARKO-NE aims to expand the circle of professionals involved in preventive programs, raise awareness, and demonstrate the importance of stopping the implementation of outdated programs that do not show adequate results. After Bihać, EUPC training will be held in other cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure that as many people as possible in the country are aware of the importance of this issue.
The training was supported by the regional project SMART Balkan – Civil Society for a Connected Western Balkans, implemented by the Center for Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD), the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.
Anisa Čelik
