Who we are

The Finnish Presidency focuses on the reduction and prevention of drug-related crime and harm caused by drug abuse among young people. The offending of the adolescents has diminished in many European countries. Even though increasingly few young people commit serious crimes, the repeated offending accumulates on a small group of young people. This group of youngsters has been recognized as a target group of crime prevention activities. These youngsters are often school drop-outs and they suffer of various social and mental health problems, substance abuse, unemployment, lacking life-skills, experiences of victimization and risk of social exclusion.  These various symptoms of persistent offending and deviant behaviour have driven them to marginal positions and exclusion from the society.