Beatriz de La Pava Hucke talks to two women committed to reducing the stigma and harm caused by drug addiction and tackling the damage done by the illegal drug trade in Europe and the United States.

Angela Kennecke is a journalist in the United States who lost her 21 year old daughter to fentanyl poisoning. Emily was three days away from being checked into a treatment centre and died after taking what she thought was heroin. Angela has since founded Emily’s Hope – a non-profit organisation to raise awareness in the opioid crisis and end the stigma of addiction.

Laura d’Arrigo works in Paris as diplomatic advisor at the French Interministerial Mission on combating drugs and addictive behaviours. For six years (2016-2021) she chaired the management board of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction which is the leading authority on illicit drugs in the European Union. The agency provides independent scientific evidence and analysis on all aspects of this constantly changing threat to individual lives and wider society. She spoke to us in a personal capacity.

Produced by Jane Thurlow

(Image: (L) Angela Kennecke, credit Chris Reistroffer. (R) Laura d'Arrigo, credit Nuno Saraiva.)