DPM Borovinić Bojović attends high-level meeting on addiction prevention and recovery in Italy

Deputy Prime Minister Jelena Borovinić Bojović took part in a meeting on addiction prevention and recovery organised by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron, held in Rimini, Italy.

Deputy Prime Minister for Health and Social Welfare Jelena Borovinić Bojović participated in the International High-Level Meeting on Addiction Prevention and Recovery, held at the San Patrignano community near Rimini at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron, who co-hosted the important event. The meeting identified three priorities under the European Coalition Against Drugs (ECAD), an initiative previously endorsed by the Government of Montenegro: combating illicit drug trafficking, tackling criminal financial flows, and strengthening systematic efforts in addiction prevention, treatment and recovery. The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and good practices, improve treatment and recovery standards, promote social reintegration, and develop targeted strategies to support the most vulnerable groups, particularly young people. These objectives were reaffirmed through the adoption of the Rimini Declaration.

In her address, Deputy Prime Minister Borovinić Bojović stressed that the meeting was taking place “in a place that reminds us that recovery is possible when society chooses dignity over stigma, and hope over despair”, but also at a time when the global fight against drug addiction had reached a critical stage. She highlighted the countless lives tragically lost, the increasing lethality and availability of synthetic substances, and the enormous profits organised crime makes by exploiting young people and the most vulnerable.

During the discussion, the Deputy Prime Minister joined Prime Minister Meloni in condemning the frequent trivialisation and romanticisation of drug use. She emphasised that such attitudes play into the hands of drug traffickers, describing drug trafficking as a serious, shared threat to security, public health and the future of our families. Powerful tools are already available to combat illicit drug trafficking, she noted, but society must recognise that supporting the recovery of community members affected by addiction is a collective responsibility.

Borovinić Bojović emphasised that prevention remains the most effective response to this challenge and must be an integral part of the public health framework. Scientifically proven programmes, implemented consistently and in a timely manner, can protect our citizens, their families and wider communities. Established, well-developed and readily accessible approaches reduce demand before it takes hold, thereby undermining the illicit market, she added.

During the discussion, the Deputy Prime Minister advocated ensuring that people affected by addiction have access to voluntary treatment without discrimination, as part of a coordinated process encompassing rehabilitation, social reintegration and sustained support, alongside stronger health education for communities and families. Those who successfully overcome this scourge should be proud, because through their suffering and struggle they have earned respect, taking their destiny and livelihood into their own hands, she added.

The Deputy Prime Minister also informed participants that efforts to strengthen prevention, particularly among adolescents, were ongoing in Montenegro, while access to treatment and recovery services was expanding. These efforts are being pursued not in isolation, but in cooperation with partners from the European Union and the wider international community.

In the concluding part of her address, she called for unity among European partners and a clear commitment to invest more in prevention, ensure that treatment is accessible to everyone who needs it, and safeguard the dignity of every person affected by addiction, both before and after recovery. In doing so, she said, society could help unlock the enormous human potential that addiction and its consequences so often tragically suppress. She also emphasised that the people close to us who are affected by this disease should be defined by their potential, not by their past.

Founded in 1978, the San Patrignano community is the largest therapeutic community in Europe and one of the most authoritative international models for addiction recovery. It also provides tangible evidence that successful rehabilitation and recovery are possible when support is offered without fear or judgement.

The Government of Montenegro’s participation reaffirms its commitment to following developments in the most effective programmes for tackling addiction, while continuing to strengthen cooperation with European and global partners in this field.