Belfast is today hosting the eighth annual conference of European Cities Against Drugs.
Mayors from 224 towns and cities across Europe that have pledged to take a more active role in the battle against drugs are expected to attend the two-day seminar in Belfast’s City Hall.
Delegates will be addressed by some of the world’s leading authorities on the drugs issue, including Mr Jonas Hartelius, the former secretary-general of the Swedish Carnegie Institute, andMr Tomas Lundqvist, a clinical psychologist and author of studies on chronic cannabis use.
Mr Paul Betts, whose daughter Leah died in 1995 after taking an ecstasy tablet at her birthday party, will also speak. He and his wife founded the Action for Drugs Awareness group following their daughter’s death.
Belfast city councillor Mr Eric Smyth, who represents Belfast on the ECAD advisory board, said the city council was "totally opposed" to the legalisation of illicit drugs.
Belfast city council signed a pan-European declaration rejecting demands for any such legalisation in 1995 when Mr Smyth was lord mayor of the city.
He said by hosting the annual ECAD conference this year, the city council hoped to demonstrate "effective civic leadership in terms of assisting and influencing those bodies working in the whole area of drugs misuse".