TALKING ABOUT DRUGS ESSENTIAL TO BREAKING SILENCE, STIGMA OF DRUG-DEPENDENCE,
SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS IN MESSAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY
Following is the message by Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, 26 June 2003:
The theme for this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, “Let’s talk about drugs”, sums up the best starting point for tackling any problem:� recognizing that it exists and speaking openly about it.� An estimated 200 million people worldwide use illicit drugs.� That translates into 4.7 per cent of the global population aged over 14.� Those figures are alarming enough in themselves.� But the effects of drug abuse go far beyond the individuals concerned and cause incalculable harm to society in health, social and economic terms -- including the spread of HIV.
"Let's talk about drugs" underlines the need for children, families, peers, teachers and communities to talk about drug abuse, admit that it is a problem, and take responsibility for doing something about it.� The support of caring and listening parents has proven to be one of the most important protective factors against drug abuse.� But for the many young people around the world who do not have the advantage of a supportive home environment, we all have a special responsibility.
Drug abuse is often a result of underlying problems or a symptom of a broader malaise.� It is, therefore, important to talk about addressing the potential causes, and not just the abuse in isolation.� Talking about drugs is the only way to break the silence, stigma and exclusion that surround people who are drug-dependent, and that only make the problem worse.� Talking openly is also essential if we are to tackle the problem early and avoid it becoming a chronic condition.
Today’s International Day against Drug Abuse is a reminder to all of us to play our part.� The United Nations is here to assist you in this fight.� The drug programme of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has a vast amount of useful information available at www.unodc.org to help us all talk about drugs.
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