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In a hurry?
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United Nations General Assembly Special
Session on Drugs

June 8-10, 1998

The United Nations met bewteen June 8 to 10, 1998 in a special session to develop a worldwide drug control strategy based on the failed model of the US Drug War. The UN is even mimicked the absurd rhetoric of the US war. The slogan of the UN Drug Control Program was: "A Drug Free World - We Can Do It," and established as its objective the eradication of all illicit opium and coca production worldwide in 10 years.
This echoed a similar goal stated by the United States a decade ago when the Congress passed a resolution declaring that with the nation's ongoing commitment to the Drug War, the United States would be drug free by 1995. Each year since that declaration, we have stepped up the Drug War increasing federal spending from $1.65 billion in 1982 to $15.2 billion in 1997.
Yet, despite this zealous commitment to the Drug War, coca and opium production has doubled since 1987, heroin was seven times more pure in 1996 than in 1981 while at the same time its price dropped by two-thirds. About half of our nation's high school students tried an illegal drug in 1995, and in 1996, 63% of the new AIDS cases among women and children under age 13 were injection drug use related. In short, the Drug War has failed according to the very criteria used by the United Nations Drug Control Programme-drug production is increasing, drug prices are falling and both drug purity and drug consumption are increasing.
Despite the failure of the U.S. Drug War, the UN is marching toward worldwide war on drugs. They refuse to evaluate current policy or consider the concerns of experts and officials opposed to the war. Worldwide, more than 100 groups are organizing to oppose the Drug War and opinion leaders from every corner of the globe are saying a world war on drugs makes no sense. In the face of dissent, the UNDCP closes ranks and marches forward. Common Sense for Drug Policy is calling for open discussion and frank debate about the best way to control drug abuse. We believe problem use of both illegal and legal substances should be treated by doctors not policemen.
Drug abuse is primarily a health and social problem. According to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, "a meticulous scientific review has now proven that needle exchange programs can reduce the transmission of HIV and save lives without losing ground in the battle against illegal drugs." In the Netherlands, a regulatory policy on marijuana has resulted in 21% of their 12-18 year olds using marijuana at some point in their lives versus 38% of the same aged children living in Drug War USA. Switzerland recently experimented with a medically supervised dispensation program of heroin to long term addicts which resulted in decreasing the addicts income from illegal and semi-legal activities from 59% to 10%. These worldwide successes indicate humane pragmatism is more successful than brute force.
The UN should not be gearing up for a law enforcement-dominated world war. We cannot expect different results by investing more in policies which have already proven to be failures. Instead, the UN should provide a forum for an open, honest and fact-based discussion to evaluate current policies and identify successful strategies.
Common Sense for Drug Policy
Washington, D.C.
Phone: (703) 354-5694
Fax: (703) 354-5695
Email: csdp@drugsense.org