International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
On June 26th, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) marks the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking (link to info piece here) to point out how the drug trade affects the environment, economic development and public health. Drug trafficking is linked to the deforestation and pollution of the very land that poor farmers depend upon for their survival. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon points out that "(t)he illicit drug trade also undermines governance, institutions and societal cohesion. Drug traffickers typically seek routes where the rule of law is weak. In turn, drug-related crime deepens vulnerability to instability and poverty."
The damage to public health from illicit trafficking is even more obvious through the increased inicidence of AIDS and hepatitis in drug users as well as the devastating effects on the family and on mental health.
Fighting drug abuse and illicit trafficking is fighting for the world's poor and hungry. This day marks a time when we should, as Secretary Ban said, "reaffirm our commitment to this shared responsibility within our communities and among the family of nations."
Comments
You guys are hilarious in the
You guys are hilarious in the way you pass off the effects of prohibition as effects of illegal drug use. To wit: - AIDS and hepatitis in intravenous drug users is a consequence of the lack of availability of clean needles (fought by drug warriors at every turn). It is also, for that matter, due to the inability of drug consumers to obtain drugs of sufficient purity to use alternative, safer routes of administration. - Prohibition encourages clandestine cultivation in which little care is given to sustainability.