Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy 2015

Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy – 2015

Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy 2015

Rome, Italy joined the 2015 Global Day Of Action

Organiser[s]  Luca Coscioni Association, LCA

To prepare for the actual “celebration” of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, and join the “Support Don’t Punish” mobilization, the Luca Coscioni Association, LCA, prepared four vignettes to address four topics believed to be instrumental in raising a debate in the context of narcotics substances in Italy: Mafia money, new Drugs, Death penalty and scientific research. The illustrations were also used for a Facebook page entitled “è ora di parlare di droghe” (it’s time to talk about drugs) created to prepare for the June 26 event and to promote an appeal directed at the Government, Parliament and the media called #parliamodidroghe (we need to talk about drugs) that called on institutions to publicly address the matter on that very day. In a little less than a week, the Facebook page gathered some 8,300 fans and reached over a million viewers, and became the catalyst of all sorts of drug-related news in Italy. The appeal was sent to some 40.000 individuals and signed by over 3700.

The Italian press responded positively to the appeal publishing op-eds prepared by the LCA on the need to address several drug-related issues in Italy. To add extra institutional support to the activities, an 8-page parliamentary resolution was drafted and sent to all Members of Parliament urging them to introduce it on time for a discussion on the 26 June. An alternative version of the same document was drafted in the form of a parliamentary question. The Hon Roberto Rampi, of the ruling Democratic Party, submitted it with other five colleagues, and on 26 June, he took the floor at the end of the plenary to urge a formal reaction from the government (which as at the end of August has not arrived).

On 25 June a press conference was organised in Rome together with the Italian member of the European Center on Drugs and Drug Addition, Radicali italiani, Hands Off Cain and the Nonviolent Radical Party to address the three themes selected for the campaign.