Project launch meeting
May 14, 2018, the launching meeting of the project "Exploiting the potentialities of CSOs and LAs for development of holistic prevention of drug and alcohol abuse among girls and women in lagging regions of Russia” was hold in St. Petersburg.
Representatives of civil society organizations, regional and municipal authorities, state institutions from 11 regions of the Russian Federation gathered at the Aglaya Courtyard Hotel. The project coordinator Andrei Nevsky informed the participants about the need to introduce gender-specific approaches for the
prevention of alcoholism and drug addiction among women and provided information on the situation in the Russian Federation with the use of psychoactive substances by women. The expert of the project Maria Sagitova offered to colleagues her look at the peculiarities of alcohol dependence of women. Tatjana Grechanaya, Senior Researcher of the NSC of Narcology, made a presentation on the risk 
factors for the formation of addictive behavior in children, adolescents and young people. Andrei Nevsky as well presented the project "Exploiting the potentialities of CSOs and LAs for development of holistic prevention of drug and alcohol abuse among girls and women in lagging regions of Russia”, reported on the project goals, tasks and activities, and answered questions from listeners. More than 20 participants of the meeting took part in the discussion of the project and presentation of their organizations, including representatives of 16 civil society organizations: D. Basalaeva (RK RKK, Veliky Novgorod), L. Boychenko (Chairman of the Karelsky Public Company Center for Gender Studies, member of the Public Chamber of the Republic of Karelia), V. Garder (Chairman of the Khakass Republican Branch of the Russian Red Cross), Kirienko E. (ROBO "CPN"), Kolobova L. (Chief Narcologist) Department of Health of the
Kostroma Region, Kostyashkin A. (ANO RC "House on the Volga", Kostroma), Lasankin S. (AN-SPB, St. Petersburg), Nedobyzhkina M (BF assisting activities in the sphere Prevention and Health of Citizens "House of Hope", Ivanovo), Oorzhak S (TPO "Association of Psychologists of Tuva"), Sagitova M. (ANO PR "Center for International and Information Exchange in the Field of Human Rights" 
Inlayment ", St. Petersburg), Sotnikova O. (Public Council at the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Buryatia), Tyurnin S. ("Native women of the Komi Republic"), Frolova I. (Executive Director of the NRO OOBF RBF "NAN", Veliky Novgorod), Khabarkova S. (Buryat reg. branch of the NGO "No to alcoholism and drug addiction"), Khudoyash V. (ARRO "Crisis Center" Nadezhda ", Arkhangelsk), Yablochkina E. (POOO" Independent Social Women's Center of the Pskov Region "). All the speakers noted the relevance of the proposed project and the need to involve all sectors of society in counteracting the use of alcohol and drugs by women, to improve preventive approaches and support services, and to introduce gender-specific methods and programs into practice. The project is implemented with the support of the European Union.