JES (Junkies, Former Users, and Those in Substitution Therapy) is a nationwide network of groups, associations, initiatives, and individuals working under the common umbrella of the JES Federal Association to advocate for the interests and needs of people who use drugs.
Organized according to the principles of voluntary participation and solidarity, JES welcomes the involvement of anyone who currently uses drugs, has used drugs in the past, or is undergoing substitution therapy.
Our Name
Our name, JES, is derived from the English word “YES.” Our first slogan—”JUST SAY JES”—was our response to the slogan “Just Say No,” which Nancy Reagan coined during the War on Drugs.
Our name is intended to make clear that drug use is not inherently negative; that life within drug-using communities does not consist solely of difficult and destructive aspects; and that dependence on psychoactive substances need not inevitably result in a disability. Consequently, JES rejects the kind of black-and-white thinking that recognizes only “all or nothing”—or “abstinence or misery.”
Further information is available on the association’s website: jes-bundesverband.de