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WORLD GOVERNMENTS GATHERED at the United Nations were urged to move away from repression in tackling the drug problem, end the use of the death penalty for drug offences and step up treatment.
The UN General Assembly opened the first meeting on the global drug problem since 1998 to adopt a document that marks a shift away from the “war on drugs” with its heavy-handed approach centered on law enforcement.
“Drug policies that focus almost exclusively on the use of the criminal justice system need to be broadened. They need to be broadened by embracing a public health approach,” said World Health Organisation director Margaret Chan, drawing applause.
Delegates from the European Union, Switzerland, Brazil, Costa Rica, Uruguay among others called for abolishing capital punishment for drug criminals, a practice used by China, Iran and Indonesia.
Indonesia’s delegate drew jeers from the assembly when he argued that the use of the death penalty was a matter for individual states to decide, in a statement backed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, Pakistan among other countries.
The document agreed to during meetings in Vienna last month makes no reference to the death penalty but calls on government to “promote proportionate national sentencing policies… whereby the severity of penalties is proportionate to the gravity of offenses.”
It calls for “appropriate medication-assisted therapy programs, injecting equipment programs as well as antiretroviral therapy and other relevant interventions.”
Hong Kong success
Some 27 million people worldwide are living with drug use disorders, and more than 400,000 of them die each year, according to the WHO.
Drug use by injection accounts for 30% of new HIV infections outside of Africa and contributes to epidemics of hepatitis B and C in all regions.
WHO’s Chan singled out Hong Kong as a success story, where methadone treatment for drug users was key to reducing petty crime.
“People with drug dependence can be helped and returned to productive use in society,” she said.
The three-day special session was requested by Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala, which have felt the brunt of the war on drugs with an explosion of crime and violence.
- © AFP 2016.
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Sense eventually might prevail.
The war on drugs was lost a long time ago…if legality of cannabis and taxing it would be a far better option
Or at least decriminalisation
Colleagues from SSDP Ireland and Help Not Harm are in attendance. They are also meeting Irish officials over there. The war on drugs is an utter failure
Methadone is worse than heroin.
Clean methadone is less of a health risk than dirty and adulterated heroin taken through dirty needles or very pure heroin which can be too potent. Dosage is a major factor in over dosing.
Really? Dosage is a major factor in over dosing. Who would’ve guessed that
It is a known fact that drug addicts sell their Methadone/Fyseptone along with whatever other medication they are prescribed, for cash to buy Heroin.
Yes heroin which is under no control. Look at Switzerland’s model
“WHO’s Chan singled out Hong Kong as a success story, where methadone treatment for drug users was key to reducing petty crime” I would love to see her face if she were to walk down O’Connell St
I’m up for ending the war on drugs and legalise what can be legalise and tolerate what can be tolerated, everybody governs their own body and society itself would deal with people with drug problems. BUT, if they do that we would have to rethink our social welfare policy as well. A lot of people can control drugs and work, but a lot of people are very addictive, then they loose their jobs and we’re left paying their dole forever.
Absolutely. And that’s where we’ve to question if prohibition adds to numbers or not
Poverty, homelessness, social deprivation, unemployment, social exclusion, alienation and hopelessness are some factors, not the only factors, in recreational drug use. Addressing the causes of drug addiction should operate in conjunction with decriminalisation at end user consumer level.
Majority of addiction stems from a low IQ, ie genetically predisposed to become an addict. Comes from continuous breeding from a small and weak gene pool.
I think you’re confusing things there ironballs. The continuous breeding from a small and weak gene pool carries on the family tradition of being an idiot. Ask your grandparents to explain
Great fella altogetherJohn Doe but no I was correct. Spend some time with these vermin in dublin and you would change your mind.
@ironballs
Dumbest comment of the week so far!
The UN has become a farce of an organisation.
Better option:
Disband the UN.
True a farce in many ways but this is barely refutable
Abolishing the death penalty for drug offences is counterproductive. Drug dealers, producers and mules should be put to death without mercy. They create a need and feed into other forms of crime. There should be no mercy for drug suppliers right down the chain. They are killers and should be killed. When the law is soft criminals make the rules. Let the punishment fit the crime!
But… but… I love that band! :-(
The U.N. doesn’t say the same in a strong tone about their soldiers having sex with children???
have your say