June 26, the World Day Against Drugs and Their Illicit Trafficking, marks the continuous effort to deal with addiction, based on a human-centered approach, with respect for human life and always next to our substance-dependent fellow human beings.

Strengthening the infrastructure and addiction services of all therapeutic options in every region of the country and ensuring the right to access and the therapeutic continuum for everyone is the primary goal of the Government and the Ministry of Health.

The creation of the National Agency for the Prevention and Treatment of Addictions is a decisive step towards the realization of this goal.

The Ministry of Health has approved the feasibility of projects amounting to €80,675,000 from operational programs and the Recovery Fund to strengthen the structures to deal with addiction for the period 2021-2027. In this way, all the areas of Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment and Social Reintegration, which will now exist in every region of our country, are significantly strengthened.

Through this funding, new innovative structures such as the Poisons Reference Center and Detox Units are being added.

Also, for the first time in our country, a Mobile Methadone Unit and a Mobile Supervised Use Area are being created to provide services to hard-to-reach populations.

Procedures are already underway for further project approvals in the next period, which will include new structures and actions aimed at improving the geographical coverage and the plurality of services.

The Deputy Minister responsible for mental health matters, Mr. Dimitrios Vartzopoulos, in the context of World Day, points out: “We always have an open door in every corner of Greece to face and manage the problem of addiction, at every stage of it, without discrimination. We are here for each of our dependent fellow human beings, to provide care and lead them on the path of de-addiction and social reintegration”.