One million signatures are being sought to promote psychedelic therapy in Europe

According to a European Parliament report using 2019 data, 84 million Europeans (1 in 6) suffer from mental health conditions, with half experiencing depression or anxiety in the past 12 months. Since the COVID pandemic, these numbers have worsened, becoming a burden for the continent: mental illness costs are estimated at 4.2% of the EU’s annual GDP, equivalent to €600 billion yearly.

Mental health professionals are overwhelmed with patients and lack tools to meet demand: approximately half of patients don’t respond to current medical treatments for depression, anxiety, or PTSD.

Citizens’ initiative in Europe

Meanwhile, science demonstrates the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapies, providing robust, safe, and rapid clinical improvements with lasting effects for conditions like PTSD, depression, OCD, end-of-life anxiety, and substance abuse disorders. In some cases, psychedelic-assisted therapy can alleviate suffering unlike any currently available treatment.

A citizens’ initiative backed by 24 organizations, researchers, therapists, patients, and citizens from 17 European countries has launched a campaign to collect one million signatures requesting the European Commission to incorporate psychedelic-assisted therapies into the European healthcare system.

The European Citizens’ Initiative Psychedelicare aims to establish public health policy for psychedelic therapies and improve access to EU-funded research for therapeutic applications.

January 14: Starting day

Starting January 14, 2025, there will be one year to collect 1,000,000 signatures from at least 7 EU member states to formally request the European Commission to promote equitable, timely, affordable, safe, and legal access to psychedelic-assisted therapies. If successful, the Commission has 6 months to respond and declare what action, if any, it will take.

Join the European Citizens’ Initiative Psychedelicare: share, sign, spread the word. More information on Psychedelicare’s website, Facebook, and Instagram.