In the period 27-28 June 2024 in the city of Dublin (Ireland), training was held within the framework of the Reitox Academy.
The event was attended by four experts from the “Mental Health and Prevention of Addictions” Directorate at the National Center of Public Health and Analyses: Iliana Petkova and Georgi Shopov from the Bulgarian National Focal Point, Vladimir Nakov and Rumyana Dinolova from the “Mental Health” Department, as well as Prof Sonia Chipeva – external expert of the Bulgarian National Focal Point.
The training was held in the building of the Trinity Business School, and 25 specialists from 13 countries, including Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Ireland and others, took part in it.
The Reitox Academy is a training programme which addresses the training and information needs of the EMCDDA’s national partners. The Reitox Academy includes a wide array of courses and seminars on key EMCDDA technical tools and techniques. It aims to utilise the best expertise available in both the agency and Member States. It also addresses training needs related to setting up and developing national focal points and their expert networks.
The learning objectives for this program are to enhance the Futures Literacy skills of participants by working with the notions of uncertainty, projections, and scenarios. Participants experiment with selected methods and tools in a structured foresight process concerning the future of synthetic drug use. This process aims to facilitate the development of alternative scenario snapshots of synthetic drug use over a 20-year perspective, gathering insights regarding potential future opportunities, threats, and policy or research responses. Additionally, participants gain an understanding of the usage and role of scenarios in strategising and decision-making processes.