A high-profile international group is flying the white flag of surrender, saying the war on drugs is over and we’ve lost. Where do we go from here?
While probably not much of a surprise to addiction experts or the general public, the global war on drugs has failed. That’s the determination of a high-level commission comprised of former presidents, public intellectuals and other leaders studying drug policies.
This not-so-startling announcement came in the form of a report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy. The report went so far as to say the efforts to curb drug production and consumption have had a negative impact, leading “devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world.”
It’s easy to point out what isn’t working, but drugs remain a huge global problem, so what can we do that would result in positive change? The commission, which includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, challenges the conventional wisdom about drug markets and drug use.
Recommendations include:
- End criminalization and stigmatization of people who use drugs but do not harm others
- Encourage governments to experiment with drug legalization, especially marijuana
- Offer more harm reduction measures, such as access to syringes
- Ditch “just say no” and “zero tolerance” policies for youth in favor of other educational efforts
Drug Treatment
Only time will tell if measures like these will have any sort of positive impact on the drug addiction problem around the world. In the meantime, if you or someone you love is battling an addiction or co-occurring disorder, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.
Tags: Drug Abuse, Drug Use, Drug War
