Hyderabad: Stepping up fight against drug abuse, stigma of addiction

Hyderabad: Since 1989, June 26 has been recognised as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The opium trade in Humen, Guangdong, was destroyed by a Chinese political scholar, Lin Zexu on June 25, 1839, right before the First Opium War in China. At the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which was held in Vienna from June 17–26, 1987, two significant texts—the Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Outline of Future Activities in Drug Abuse Control and the Declaration of the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking—were adopted on June 26. The Conference suggested that a yearly day be set aside to acknowledge the significance of the struggle against drug misuse and illegal trafficking. Shanghai hosted the first-ever global conference on drugs in 1909. A multilateral system to regulate drug manufacturing, trafficking, and abuse emerged over time.

Every year, the World Drug Day theme is chosen by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The UNODC is committed to a drug-free world. They coordinate events and initiatives centered on drug prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation in close collaboration with governments, non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders. The theme set by UNODC this year is “People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention”. The campaign also attempts to fight stigma and discrimination against drug users by fostering polite and non-judgmental language and behaviour.

The objective of the day is to support measures to prevent and treat substance misuse as well as to increase public awareness of the serious effects that drug abuse has on people, families, and societies as a whole. The importance of offering accessible, research-based treatment and rehabilitation programmes for people battling drug addiction is highlighted by the day. It promotes the notion that addiction is a medical condition that necessitates compassionate and comprehensive attention, including medical treatment, counselling, and support services.

World Drug Day highlights the societal repercussions of drug usage, including elevated crime rates, violence, and the breakdown of social cohesion. It advocates for comprehensive treatments that address the underlying problems that contribute to drug misuses, such as poverty, unemployment, and a lack of education, and emphasises the importance of social reintegration and recovery assistance. The day offers a forum for discussion and advocacy of sensible drug laws that give public health and human rights a top priority. It urges the implementation of evidence-based policies that consider the intricate dynamics of drug usage and trafficking.

World Drug Day serves an important role in mobilising action and increasing global dialogue on drug-related issues. To solve the problems caused by drug usage and the illegal drug trade and make the world safer and healthier, it attempts to develop a sense of shared responsibility.