The Democracy cities and Drugs Project II (DC&D II) started in May 1st (2008-2010). The project is based on the results that emerged from the first DC&D I project (2005-2007). This project had the main goal of helping EU cities in developing local and partnership based drug policies and practices involving the relevant stakeholders.

One of the objectives of DC&D I was to produce an area of discussion for the major stakeholders. From this discussion five important thematic areas emerged becoming the foundations for the second DC&D project:

1. policies addressing the specific needs of women with drug misuse;
2. activities for health promotion in nightlife settings;
3. integrated responses related to wandering young drugs users;
4. outreach activities as regards drugs use and sexual infectious diseases;
5. local policies improving access to treatment.

The thematic areas cited above can be considered as exchange platforms of knowledge for who is interested in this project. These platforms produced seminars (for sharing knowledge and expertise), training sessions, refinement meetings and joint guidelines for: local authorities, health services, criminal justice services, communities, including visible minority ones and drug services users.

According to these points, Dc&DII will promote a coordinated, participative, targeted approach towards drug-related problems for the European community and its citizens. The DC&D II project is based on three pillars: One EU wide experimental network of more than 16 partner cities; four national networks (France, Italy, Portugal, Romania) involving 56 cities; five thematic working groups based on the findings of the first DC&D project. The five EU thematic exchange platforms are open to the EU experimental network of cities and the network of nations involved and will be organised to support the development of integrated drug policies among the partner cities and countries.