FORUM: “People first: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengten Prevention.” International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2023. This year’s the United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking focuses on the need to put people first by ending stigma and discrimination and strengthening prevention. This means stressing rehabilitation, rather than punishment and incarceration for minor drug offences. Over time, the regular or habitual use of drugs becomes a crutch and only adds to the stress. Drugs can also cause other harms, including:
Cocaine: Highly addictive, cocaine is involved in nearly one in five overdose deaths; its health effects include asthma, bowel decay, and increased risk of HIV.
Methamphetamine (Meth): Meth causes devastating health effects, and sometimes death, even on the first try. Meth speeds up the body’s systems to dangerous levels. Chronic users experience anxiety, confusion, insomnia, paranoia, aggression, and more.
Prescription and illicit opioids: Highly addictive, the substances are the top cause of overdose deaths; health effects include confusion, nausea, constipation, coma, and brain damage.
Marijuana: Even though it is legal in many states, studies link marijuana use to various negative outcomes.
Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #26june, #PutPeoplefirst #WorldDrugDay, #DrugPrevention, #worlddrugreport.
Statement from the United Nations Secretary-General on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2023, June 26th.
Tens of millions of people suffer from drug-use disorders. Less than one fifth are in treatment. Drug users are doubly victimized: first by the harmful effects of the drugs themselves, and second by the stigma and discrimination they face.
People who use drugs can often face significant barriers to treatment and even health services for infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Meanwhile, drug traffickers continue to prey on drug users, rapidly escalating the production of dangerous, highly addictive synthetic drugs.
This year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking focuses on the need to put people first by ending stigma and discrimination and strengthening prevention. This means stressing rehabilitation, rather than punishment and incarceration for minor drug offences.
It means upholding the human rights of people who use drugs, including by expanding prevention and treatment programmes and health services. It means protecting people and communities alike by ending impunity for drug traffickers profiting from people’s pain.
Above all, it means Governments leading the way. When I was Prime Minister of Portugal, we implemented non-criminal responses to drug possession for personal use, while cracking down on traffickers and re-allocating resources to prevention, treatment and harm-reduction measures.
As a result, drug consumption and associated infectious disease rates plummeted, more drugs were seized by police and customs, and — most importantly — lives were saved. Today, Portugal has one of Europe’s lowest overdose and death rates from drug use. As a global community, let’s continue our work to end drug abuse, illicit trafficking, and the stigma endured by drug users around the world.
EVENT: The UNODC theme for the 2023 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is “People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention”. On 26 June 2023, at 2:00 pm Vienna time in Board-Room D (VIC), the Chair of the 66th session of the CND will hold an event. Join the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs Special event to commemorate the day and to launch the 2023 UNODC World Drug Report.
OTHER STATEMENTS: Read the Statement from the UNODC Executive Director on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2023; June 26th.
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