Preamble
We, the local politicians concerned with drug policy, realise that we have to assume the greatest and direct responsibility in approaching drug problems. In order to handle these drug problems we search for coordination and cooperation with other cities and also with national and international bodies. We observe legislation and international conventions in force. Given this legal context, we also feel obliged to look for possibilities and approaches of making allowance for pragmatically coping with the reality in our communities, broaching necessary changes, and to make these necessities heard.

The view that repression alone can solve drug-related problems proved to be false a long time ago. Even if some cities and countries still adhere to this policy, we emphasise that this approachÄoften based on the utopian idea of a drug-free societyÄ did not, and will not, bring about, in practice, any sufficient improvement of the situation.

We, the cities call for the necessary freedom and legal framework which allow us to implement a well balanced pragmatic policyÄas it is laid down in this declaration as well as in the Frankfurt Resolution of 1990Äaccording to our local needs, based on the particular characteristics of drug-related problems, social and cultural settings, and political priorities in our communities. In this process, all local bodies and authorities concerned with drug-related problems should collaborate.

Human rights, and every person's basic right to receive unbiased help to survive and to live in human dignityÄwith or without drugsÄhave to be the basis of international, national and local drug policy. At the same time, the citizens of our communities must be protected effectively from drug-related problems.

The signatories of this declaration are thus pleading for an integrated pragmatic and non-ideological approach based on scientific evaluation that builds local and national policies on the following four pillars:

1. Prevention
Prevention is based on a comprehensive perception of health education which implies mental, physical and social aspects of health to be of equal ranking. Its goal is the active strengthening of children, adolescents and adults, and the various protective factors comprising all measures of structural prevention in an attempt to prevent as many individuals as possible from harmfully using legal as well as illegal psycho-active substances.

2. Therapy
People encountering mental, social and/or physical problems because of their use of any drugÄwhether legal or illegalÄare entitled to proper professional treatment, counselling and help. It is the task of the helping system to ensure that no moral or other judgement toward drug users prevents them from gaining access to the same care as any other individual. Therapeutic and social interventions must cover a large spectrum of available instruments with the aim of giving as many drug users as possible the chance of abandoning their addiction and harmful use and lead an integrated life in our communities. Treatment aiming at abstinence often is a long-term process. Abstinence-oriented treatment necessarily should be complemented with treatment setting intermediate aims such as harm reduction.

3. Harm Reduction
The target envisaged by harm reduction consists in helping present drug users to survive and overcome acute health and social crisis. All measures contributing to the avoidance of serious menacing infections and other harm are suited to achieve this goal. Low-threshold services, syringe exchange, consumer rooms and the administration of substitute and, if necessary, original drugs being existing examples of this pillar.

A crucial element of a well balanced pragmatic drug policy is the absolute necessity of its various measures to strive for balance and integration into an overall social and health care system. Harm reduction measures are, directly and indirectly, contributing to the reduction of criminality and the significant reduction of costs to be borne by society. We therefore are pleading for uniting all forces of local politics in supporting the implementation of harm reduction to be integrated into local, national and international policies.

4. Repression
The major goal of repression in the harm reduction context is to initiate concerted action of police and justice at local, national and international levels with a view to influence the availability of legal and illegal psycho-active substances in such a way that the availability is controlled and harmful use is minimised. On the local level it is the primary task of the policy and judiciary system to combat the illegal drug market and to ensure security for the population of our communities while trying to avoid, wherever possible, the marginalisation of consumers which creates additional hazardous conditions for their health.

In order to achieve the aforementioned aims of prevention, therapy, harm reduction and repression, there is a strong need for concerted collaborative action by the different responsible sectors, police, justice, and social and health care.

Conclusion
This declaration was formulated on the basis of the aims and objectives of the Frankfurt Resolution (1990) and the common work conducted by its signatories within the framework of the European Cities on Drug Policy (ECDP).

We are well aware of the fact that not all of the signatories of this document will be able to implement all of the above- mentioned measures in their communities. Policies have to be well-tailored according to the political and cultural situation and the level of commitment of all citizens.

We, the signatories of the ECDP Declaration, do however, declare our open commitment to he well balanced pragmatic drug policy and will give political support for the development and implementation of any feasible measure aiming at the reduction of drug-related harm in our communities as well as in others.