Participants at the 17th Ministerial Conference of the Pompidou Group, to be held in Stavanger (Norway) on 27-28 November 2018, are expected to express grave concerns over new types of drugs and worrying trends in drug use linked to online gambling. Hosted by the Norwegian Presidency, the Conference will take stock of headlines this year in international media highlighting the “hidden epidemic” of online gambling fuelled by drug use, as confirmed in studies by drug policy experts. “One of our priorities in future will be to tackle this issue,” said Denis Huber, Executive Secretary of the Pompidou Group. “The crossover between substance use like methamphetamine and online gambling is a growing problem in Europe, especially among youth,” he added. The Conference will further raise concern over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate effects of drugs like cocaine. “Even if AI does not mean a literal intake of such harmful drugs, so called virtual users develop addictions and severe behavioural problems,” Huber explained. The conference is dedicated to the theme Sustainable drug policies respectful of human rights. It will outline the Group’s 2019-2022 work programme under its next presidency to include ways to deal with such new challenges.
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