CROATIA

Drug Prevention Stakeholder Map

In the framework of the project “Building effective drug prevention results across Europe based on prevention systems analysis and widespread professional training – ASAP training” had been identified the key stakeholders in drug prevention in the different EU Member States. More information about the ASAP you will find on the project webpage: http://asap-training.eu. If you would like to know more about the institution, please, click on its name. If you would like to get more information about the ASAP project in Croatia (the result, ASAP training etc.) please contact our partners in Croatia:

Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences University of Zagreb
Address (street, postal code): Sv. Preobraženja 4/II, 10000
City/town: Zagreb
Telephone number: +385 1 48 78 122
Email: szd@hzjz.hr
Website: ww.hzjz.hr www.drogeiovisnosti.gov.hr
The National Strategy on Combating Drug Abuse in the Republic of Croatia stresses the importance of the support to the development, implementation and sustainability of quality, effective and evidence-based addiction prevention programmes. Addiction prevention programmes are carried out in 21 counties, each of them having a County commission for combating drug abuse, whereas the Croatian Institute of Public Health and the Ministry of Health represents the national coordination body in this area. Also, in Croatian Institute of Public Health (Service for Combating Drugs abuse) is EMCDDA's national focal point responsible for annually reporting to EMCDDA, also as for the international cooperation in this area.
THE SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES:
  • systematically following up, reviewing issues and carrying out expert, analytical, advisory and other activities related to drug policy, monitoring the implementation of the Law on combating drug abuse as well as National Drugs Strategy and Action Plans on Drug, submitting reports to the Ministry of Health on their implementation
  • proposing measures to address causes and consequences of drug abuse in individuals and general population
  • for the purpose of prevention and education related to drug abuse and to inform citizens about the its impact and harmfulness, it designs, coordinates and carries out educations and media campaigns
  • cooperating with the competent authorities in the implementation of the obligations under international treaties and conventions in the field of drug abuse
  • participating in the preparation and implementation of projects funded from EU funds and projects of other international organizations related to the suppression of drug abuse
  • establishing, implementing and developing co-operation with European Union bodies, international bodies and related institutions
  • participating in activities related to the Republic of Croatia's participation in the work of the EU in the field of drug prevention
    • The Croatian Institute of Public Health has invested efforts to enhance the quality of preventive interventions, in particular those that are conducted by NGOs, and recently those that are conducted by Services for mental health, prevention and outpatient treatment of drug addicts They comprise a number of related activities:
  • training for project implementers and evaluators
  • linking the programme quality criteria with funding of prevention projects
  • participating in the development of Minimum Standards for Prevention of Addiction for Children and Youth in Education System
  • in cooperation with the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb, the following research project was implemented: “Survey on the compliance of addiction prevention programs with the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS) – A contribution to enhanced addiction prevention in the Republic of Croatia
  • developing the online database (www.programi.uredzadroge.hr) on all programs/projects which are conducted in the area of drug demand reduction (prevention, treatment, harm reduction, social re-integration)
  • promoting international and European standards
    • In cooperation with the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb, the Croatian Institute of Public Health has organized a series of training events for the implementers of prevention interventions whose projects are funded within a regular annual call for proposals. The training is based on the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS). In 2014, the EDPQS Quick Guide is used as working material. In 2015, there were no new education activities, while since 2016 up to 2019 training has been provided Also, in March 2016, the Commission for Assessing Quality of Projects in the Area of Reducing Drug Demand (in line with EDDRA criteria, now EDPQS) was established. The Commission consists of experts involved in working with children and young people at risk and individuals with addiction problems, representatives of relevant state and public bodies and representatives of scientific institutions active in the field of prevention of risky behavior. The task of the Commission is to assess the quality of preventive interventions / projects included in the online Database of projects and programs in the area of reducing drug demand (prevention, treatment, resocialization and harm reduction) and bring the decision on the quality of individual interventions / whether they meet quality criteria based on EDPQS, to award quality certificates. The purpose is to identify 1. Developing projects, 2. Promising projects and 3. Effective projects
MAIN ROLES:
  • Coordinating drug prevention on the national level
  • Coordination of the implementation of the National drug strategy and action plans
  • Decision-making in drug prevention (Including development of policies)
  • Advisory role
  • Participating as a members of Ministry of Health Commission for Funding drug and alcohol prevention
  • Developing drug prevention programmes and/or policies (National strategy and Action plans)
  • Monitoring substance-related problems in order to apply the results to improve drug prevention
  • Monitoring drug prevention interventions or programmes
  • Supervising the implementation of drug prevention (e.g. providing advice and guidance)
  • Conducting prevention research e.g. evaluation of drug prevention programmes, epidemiological studies in the general and student population
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
  • Conducting drug prevention data base
  • Conducting and coordinating the Commission for Assessing Quality of Projects
  • Promotion of international and European drug prevention standards
  • International cooperation; EMCDDA’s national Focal Point
Address (street, postal code): The Ministry of Science and Education Donje Svetice 38
City/town: Zagreb
Telephone number: ++ 385 1 45 94 446
Email: Darko.Tot@mzo.hr
Website: www.mzo.hr
The Ministry of Science and Education is a national, governmental institution responsible for coordinating drug prevention activities in the education system. It provides in-service teacher training activities; co-finances prevention activities in the education system/schools.
MAIN ROLES:
  • Coordinating drug prevention
  • Decision-making in drug prevention (Including development of policies)
  • Advisory role
  • Funding drug and alcohol prevention
  • Developing drug prevention programmes and/or policies
  • Monitoring substance-related problems in order to apply the results to improve drug prevention
  • Monitoring drug prevention interventions or programmes
  • Conducting prevention research e.g. evaluation of drug prevention programmes, epidemiological studies in the generaland student population
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
Address (street, postal code): Borongajska cesta 83 f
City/town: Zagreb
Telephone number: ++ 385 1 2457500
Eamil: martina.feric@erf.unizg.hr
Website: www.erf.unizg.hr/en/
MAIN ROLES:
  • contribute to better recognizability and visibility of prevention science in Croatia and the world
    • -create a recognizable platform as a source of prevention science and practice information
    -promote the development of science-based and evidence-based preventive practices
    -create partnerships with similar centres in Europe and the world
    -strengthen scientific potential and human resources
    -influence on public policies creation and creation of standards in prevention at the global level
  • developing and implementing effective models for transferring knowledge of prevention science into practice
    • -improve currently implemented preventive interventions toward evidence-based intervention by conduction of scientific evaluation
    -promote the development and implementation of sustainable models of multicomponent community-based prevention
    -develop recommendations / standards to promote evidence-based preventive practices
THE SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES:
  • providing education/training for drug prevention professionals
  • consultation with decision makers
  • participates in different commissions (national and local levels)
  • provide support in program evaluation
  • provide support in different kind of (scientific) research project
THE ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
  • Advisory role
  • Monitoring substance-related problems in order to apply the results to improve drug prevention
  • Monitoring drug prevention interventions or programmes
  • From 2017 PrevLab conducted annual external program evaluation of projects in accordance with quality standards (EDPQS) funded by Office for combating drug abuse of the Government of the Republic of Croatia (now Croatian Institute of Public Health, Service for combating drug abuse)
  • Supervising the implementation of drug prevention (e.g. providing advice and guidance)
  • Conducting prevention research e.g. evaluation of drug prevention programmes, epidemiological studies in the general and student population
  • Conducting series of projects under a common name “Positive development of adolescents” (2017-2019) - Purpose of the project was to explore the positive development and risky behaviour of adolescents (N= 10.138). In addition to the insights into the risky behaviour of young people, a picture of strengths and challenges at the individual level and at the level of environments in which young people live was gained (family, school, community). Findings also included internalized problems, the family and individual resilience of students, social and emotional competences, school attachment as well as mindfulness
  • Providing training of drug prevention practitioners
Address (street, postal code): Ilica 335, Zagreb (10 000)
City/town: Zagreb
Telephone number: 00 385 1 3788 054
Eamil: prevencija@mup.hr

Within the General police directorate under the Office of general police director it is established Department for crime prevention.

Also within the General police Directorate under the National police office for suppression of corruption and organised crime of Criminal police Directorate it is established Drugs department who is dealing with suppression of narcotics and other illegal drugs.

MAIN ROLES:
Monitoring and analyzing the state of security and phenomena that are contributing to the occurrence and development of punishable offences for the purpose of their prevention; monitoring the new forms of punishable offences and the ways of committing; developing preventive programs, projects, campaigns and activities; coordinating preventive activities with Police districts at regional level; cooperating with other governmental organizations, NGOs, scientific and university institutions and ecc; conducting international cooperation and doing activities under the EUCPN (European crime prevention network) etc.
THE SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES:
  • Developing, implementing and participating in own and others preventive programs, projects, campaigns and activities
  • Encouraging the exchange of best practices in field of crime prevention
  • Monitoring the work of Crime prevention Councils at local and regional level and giving advices how to improve their work
  • In cooperation with Police Academy developing a training plan for police officers for crime prevention
  • Encouraging professional and scientific researches in different crime fields
THE ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
  • Coordinating drug prevention
  • Decision-making in drug prevention (Including development of policies)
  • Advisory role
  • Developing drug prevention programmes and/or policies
  • Monitoring substance related problems in order to apply the results to improve drug prevention
  • Monitoring drug prevention interventions or program mes
  • Supervising the implementation of drug prevention (e.g. providing advice and guidance)
  • Conducting prevention research e.g. evaluation of drug prevention programmes, epidemiological studies in the general and student population
  • Implementing drug prevention e.g. family- and school-based programmes
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
Address (street, postal code): Bana Josipa Jelačića 4
City/town: Split
Telephone number: 385 21 314 412
Eamil: liga@liga.hr
Website: www.liga.hr
MAIN ROLES:
  • Assessment of the needs in the community on the prevention field.
  • Developing and implementing drug prevention programs on the universal, selective and indicative level in local community. Those programs are based on participation of many social stakeholders, they are multicomponent and include participation of young people, schools, families and wider community. Goals of those programs are to build protective factors and reduce risks on individual and on the group level; to inform target group about harmful effects of different kind of addictive substance and behavior; to promote healthy life styles
  • participating in the process of policies making
  • gathering and collecting information from young people for different type of prevention researches (because we have access to a large number of them)
THE SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES:
  • training in drug prevention in local level
  • social skills training with different groups of young people
  • info workshops about harmful consequences of addiction substance and behavior
  • workshops for improvement of parenting skills
  • individual counseling with young people and their families
  • inclusive volunteering
  • publishing
  • round tables, conferences
  • media campaign
THE ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
  • Developing drug prevention programmes and/or policies
  • Implementing drug prevention e.g. family- and school-based programmes
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
  • Publishing
Address (street, postal code): Dunavska 53/19, 31000 Osijek
City/town: Osijek
Telephone number: 00385 31 272 953
Eamil: info@cnzd.org
Website: www.cnzd.org

In Croatia there is Commission for Combating Drug Abuse of the Government of the Republic of Croatia (composed of members of all the relevant ministries and is chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister) and this Commission develops drug policy and coordinates the activities of the ministries and other organizations involved in the implementation of the national drug strategy at the political level. It also adopts annual programs of action in this field.

In our country there is also Office for Combating Drug Abuse - a specialized government service that deals with the day-to-day implementation and monitoring of the national drug strategy. It monitors the drug situation in Croatia and proposes measures to address drug-related issues.

As a nongovernmental organization Center for missing and exploited children implements drug prevention projects that are funded and monitored by Office for Combating Drug Abuse, Ministry of Health or other organizations.

MAIN ROLES:

Center for missing and exploited children Croatia (the Center) is a non – profit organization established in the year 2006 in Osijek with a mission to protect, promote and improve rights of children in Croatia and with its activities and services Center plays an important role in promoting and improving the earlier mentioned group of protective rights.

In the prevention system Center is involved as an organization which assesses needs of the local community and/or region, designs programs of universal and selective prevention of addiction for children, young people and experts and then implements those programs in cooperation with partner organizations and volunteers.

THE SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES:

Our organization is involved in drug prevention since 2014 when we assessed local community needs and concluded that there is a need for drug prevention program that aims to educate children and youth in risk or with behavioral problems about negative consequences of drug use and healthy life styles, but also sensitize public about drug issues and effective drug prevention. In 2014 we also started to provide social service of half-day care treatment for children in risk and with behavioral problems in Osijek, and in 2016 in another five cities in region (in total there are about 70 children in our care on day basis).

Since then, we are continuously designing and implementing drug preventive programs for children, youth and experts. The overall objective is the prevention of addiction among children and youth in risk and placed in residential care. Through our programs new skills and knowledge are provided for with target groups and the ultimate goal is reducing the number of those who engage in experimentation of addictive-substance.

Our activities aim to improve knowledge of caregivers, experts and volunteers by educating them about the importance of social skills and quality leisure time in prevention of addiction; to improve knowledge of children and youth about harmful effects of addictive substances, developing social skills significant for the prevention of addiction among them and providing them activities in which they can engage to spend their free time with mentors (volunteers) or with their peers. Also, through our activities we are raising awareness about the prevalence and harmful effects of addictive substances among target groups and in general public.

THE ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
  • Developing drug prevention programs and/or policies
  • Monitoring substance related problems in order to apply the results to improve drug prevention
  • Implementing drug prevention e.g. family- and school-based programs
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
Address (street, postal code): Donje Svetice 38
City/town: Zagreb
Telephone number: 01 2785000
Eamil: agencija@azoo.hr
Website: www.azoo.hr
Education and Teacher Training Agency ETTAEDU is a public/governmental organization. ETTAEDU conducts professional training of education system staff to work on addiction prevention. ETTAEDU has established County Expert Counsels for Prevention Programs (21) which provide education at the county level. Apart from education activities, the organization issues expert opinions on prevention programs run by NGOs; establishes and manages County Expert Council for Prevention Programs
MAIN ROLES:
  • Decision-making in drug prevention (including development of policies)
  • Advisory role
  • Developing drug prevention programmes and/or policies
  • Monitoring drug prevention interventions or programmes
  • Supervising the implementation of drug prevention (e.g. providing advice and guidance)
  • Implementing drug prevention e.g. family- and school-based programmes
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
Address (street, postal code): Borongajska cesta 83 f
City/town: Zagreb
Telephone number: ++ 385 1 2457500
Eamil: martina.feric@erf.hr
Website: www.erf.unizg.hr/en/
MAIN ROLES:
  • contribute to better recognizability and visibility of prevention science in Croatia and the world
    • create a recognizable platform as a source of prevention science and practice information
    promote the development of science-based and evidence-based preventive practices
    create partnerships with similar centres in Europe and the world
    strengthen scientific potential and human resources
    influence on public policies creation and creation of standards in prevention at the global level
  • developing and implementing effective models for transferring knowledge of prevention science into practice
    • improve currently implemented preventive interventions toward evidence-based intervention by conduction of scientific evaluation
    promote the development and implementation of sustainable models of multicomponent community-based prevention
    develop recommendations / standards to promote evidence-based preventive practices
THE SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES:
  • providing education/training for drug prevention professionals
  • consultation with decision makers
  • participates in different commissions (national and local levels)
  • provide support in program evaluation
  • provide support in different kind of (scientific) research project
THE ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
  • Advisory role
  • Monitoring substance-related problems in order to apply the results to improve drug prevention
  • Monitoring drug prevention interventions or programmes
  • In this period PrevLab conducted annual external program evaluation of projects in accordance with quality standards (EDPQS) funded by Office for combating drug abuse of the Government of the Republic of Croatia (now Croatian Institute of Public Health, Service for combating drug abuse)
  • Supervising the implementation of drug prevention (e.g. providing advice and guidance)
  • Conducting prevention research e.g. evaluation of drug prevention programmes, epidemiological studies in the general and student population
  • Conducting series of projects under a common name “Positive development of adolescents” (2017-2019) - Purpose of the project was to explore the positive development and risky behaviour of adolescents. In addition to the insights into the risky behaviour of young people, a picture of strengths and challenges at the individual level and at the level of environments in which young people live was gained (family, school, community). Findings also included internalized problems, the family and individual resilience of students, social and emotional competences, school attachment as well as mindfulness.
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
Address (street, postal code): Kresimirova 52A, 51 000
City/town: Rijeka
Telephone number: 0038551335920
Eamil: darko.rovis@zzjzpgz.hr
Website: www.zzjzpgz.hr
MAIN ROLES:

Public health institutes implement universal, selective and indicated measures through it’s departments for: A. School medicine and B. Mental health, prevention and outpatient treatment. The implementation is organized either through direct service provision (e.g counselling centres, screening, health promotion in schools) or as a support for organizing and delivering school prevention programs through co-operation with schools (either trough school preventive programs within regular classes or trough additional extracurricular activities).

Teaching Institute for Public Health of Primorsko-Goranska County (NZJZPGZ) also organize and participate in local capacity building initiatives, delivering lectures and trainings for local prevention professionals (mostly education professionals and NGO’s). Finally NZJZPGZ is involved in various prevention activities at local level done in collaboration with other sectors and / or civil society organizations (public campaigns, awareness raising, advocating, etc.). It actively works with local governments (city and county) in developing local policies regarding youth, mental health, and alcohol and drug prevention.

THE SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES:

Teaching Institute for Public Health of Primorsko-Goranska County is actively working in health promotion and protection since 1905. As of 2005. the multidisciplinary work is expanded to Mental health, drug prevention and outpatient treatment.

Universal interventions are delivered at a population level in elementary schools across the County. This work is highly dedicated to evidence-based prevention and EDPQS. It currently operates large scale population level life-skills based curriculum engaging cca 10.000 students each year. A series of workshops (8-10 per year) are delivered to students in 3-7th grades. This program (as well as others) is recognized by Governmental Office for Combating Drug Abuse as a national best practice program and was recommended to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) database of European best practices.

Selective and indicated prevention is organized trough screening of mental health aimed at 7th grade students of city of Rijeka. Roughly 10-15 % of the population is then further recommended to visit the youth counselling centre for support.

The NZJZPGZ is running Youth counselling centre, delivering psychological individual and family counselling, psychotherapy as well as psychiatric therapy.

Finally the institute is also working in outpatient treatment of addicts which involves psychosocial rehabilitation, substitution treatment etc.

THE ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
  • Developing drug prevention programmes and/or policies
  • Monitoring substance related problems in order to apply the results to improve drug prevention
  • Supervising the implementation of drug prevention (e.g. providing advice and guidance)
  • Conducting prevention research e.g. evaluation of drug prevention programmes, epidemiological studies in the general and student population
  • Implementing drug prevention e.g. family- and school-based programmes
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
Address (street, postal code): Mirogojska ulica br.16
City/town: Zagreb
Telephone number: 01/4696-111
Eamil: mentalno-zdravlje@stampar.hr
Website: www.stampar.hr/

Department for Mental Health and Addiction Prevention within the Teaching Institute of Public Health „Dr. Andrija Štampar“ performs the activity of protecting mental health, prevention and outpatient treatment of addictions determined according to laws and strategic documents, as well as professional guidelines. All activities take place through the promotion, prevention and treatment of mental disorders and addiction illnesses. Prevention is carried out on the principles of universal, selective and indicated, and treatment in accordance with a medical indication and in an accordance with modern medical knowledge, science based evidence and with a multidisciplinary and personalized approach.

Service of Mental Health and Prevention of Addiction to the Public Health Institute "Dr. Andrija Štampar "continuously conducts multisector cooperation with institutions in the health, education, justice system and social welfare system.

In addition, it also works with the non-governmental sector. Within this, activities focusing on young people and their families (consumption of illegal drugs and other forms of addictive behaviour, school-related behaviours, peers, families ...) are being implemented.

The young people are referred to treatment by the municipal state attorney's office, social welfare centres and / or the Misdemeanour court, at the initiative of a parent, a school or other health institution and self-initiated.

MAIN ROLES:
THE ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
  • Developing drug prevention programmes and/or policies
  • Implementing drug prevention e.g. family- and school-based programmes
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
  • Publishing
  • Decision-making in drug prevention
  • Coordinating drug prevention
  • Funding drug and alcohol prevention
THE SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES:
  • assessment of the needs in the community on the prevention field.
  • developing and implementing drug prevention programs on the universal, selective and indicative level in local community. Those programs are based on participation of many social stakeholders, they are multicomponent and include participation of young people, schools, families and wider community. Goals of those programs are to build protective factors and reduce risks on individual and on the group level; to inform target group about harmful effects of different kind of addictive substance and behavior; to promote healthy life styles.
  • participating in the process of policies making
  • gathering and collecting information from young people for different type of prevention researches (because we have access to a large number of them)

    • The organization conducts the following type of activities:

  • training in drug prevention in local level
  • social skills training with different groups of young people
  • info workshops about harmful consequences of addiction substance and behavior
  • workshops for improvement of parenting skills
  • individual counseling with young people and their families
  • inclusive volunteering
  • publishing
  • round tables, conferences
  • media campaign

    • The institution cooperates with:

  • Educational Institute for Public Health - Mental Health Service
  • Community Service Provider Split (institution for young people with behavior problems)
  • Home for children Maestral (institution for children and young people without adequate parental care)
  • Juvenile court
  • 6 elementary schools in Split - Dalmatian County
  • 7 high schools in Split - Dalmatian County
  • Center for social welfare Split
  • 5-6 other NGO-s
THE ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
  • Developing drug prevention programmes and/or policies
  • Monitoring substance related problems in order to apply the results to improve drug prevention
  • Supervising the implementation of drug prevention (e.g. providing advice and guidance)
  • Conducting prevention research e.g. evaluation of drug prevention programmes, epidemiological studies in the general and student population
  • Implementing drug prevention e.g. family- and school-based programmes
  • Providing training on substance use prevention
Country:
Austria Italy Belgium Latvia Bulgaria Lithuania Croatia Luxembourg Cyprus Malta Czechia Netherlands Denmark Poland Estonia Portugal Finland Romania France Slovakia Germany Slovenia Greece Spain Hungary Sweden