In his book, Legalizing Drugs: The Key to Ending the War, Steve Rolles, author and Senior Policy Analyst at Transform Drug Policy Foundation, manages to veer away from a polarising debate and lays out what reform could actually mean. There are now almost 100 countries across the globe making use of ‘harm reduction’ interventions, a practice that turns away from the more historical crime and punishment model for drugs. In addition, 25 countries have also ended criminalisation of cannabis use. In his book, Rolles draws upon evidence gathered from these examples to ask “Why has the war on drugs proved so resilient?

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Legalising drugs: The key to ending the war

In 2015 about a quarter of a billion people used drugs. Of these, around 29.5 million people - or 0.6 per cent of the global adult population - were engaged in problematic use and suffered from drug use disorders, including dependence. Opioids were the most harmful drug type and accounted for 70 per cent of the negative health impact associated with drug use disorders worldwide, according to the latest World Drug Report, released today by UNODC.

Disorders related to the use of amphetamines also account for a considerable share of the global burden of disease. And while the market for new psychoactive substances (NPS) is still relatively small, users are unaware of the content and dosage of psychoactive substances in some NPS. This potentially exposes users to additional serious health risks.

The Report finds that hepatitis C is causing the greatest harm among the estimated 12 million people who inject drugs worldwide. Out of this number, one in eight (1.6 million) is living with HIV and more than half (6.1 million) are living with hepatitis C, while around 1.3 million are suffering from both hepatitis C and HIV. Overall, three times more people who use drugs die from hepatitis C (222,000) than from HIV (60,000). However, the Report stresses that despite recent advances in the treatment of hepatitis C, access remains poor, as treatment remains very expensive in most countries.

This year marks 20 years of the World Drug Report, which comes at a time when the international community has decided to move forward with joint action. UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov highlighted that the outcome document of the 2016 landmark UN General Assembly special session on the world drug problem contains more than 100 concrete recommendations to reduce demand and supply, however he acknowledges that more needs to be done.

"There is much work to be done to confront the many harms inflicted by drugs to health, development, peace and security, in all regions of the world," said Mr. Fedotov.

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World Drug Report 2017

Medical professionals have a key role to play in managing the harms associated with illicit drug dependence. This can be in a clinical setting (ie directly managing withdrawal and relapse and in maintenance prescribing) or in advocating for the provision of evidence-based interventions in local areas with a high level of need. There are, however, a limited number of treatment options available for individuals dependent on illicit drugs. Within drug and alcohol treatment services, opiate dependence (including heroin) has the lowest rate of successful treatment, around 28% of those who access services. Despite this, there is strong and consistent evidence to support the approach of OST (opioid substitution treatment), which is routinely used in addiction services throughout the UK. Other substance use treatment options – including supervised consumption rooms and HAT (heroin assisted treatment) – are not routinely used, despite being associated with reduced levels of harm for users. This short briefing aims to raise awareness about these treatments that are being underused, by explaining what they are, what evidence exists for their effectiveness, and what their role is in a UK context.

Reducing harm associated with illicit drug use

The mandate on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings has evolved over the years through various resolutions of the General Assembly and the Human Rights Commission and Council, and in response to violations of the right to life that member States have determined required a response.No international treaty explicitly defines extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. However, such violations of the right to life have been commonly characterized as falling within the “public” domain, i.e., the domain of the State and its institutions, and understood to encompass killings involving State officials or private actors connected to the State, and to include armed conflict situations. While many steps have been taken over the past 20 years to broaden the reach and relevance of international human rights law, including by special procedure mandate holders, historically common characterizations have worked to exclude gender-related killings, which take place mainly in the so-called “private” sphere. When, in its application, the human rights framework fails to regard equally all loss of life, the consequences may be — however unintentionally — the perception that some arbitrary loss of life is of a lesser degree of gravity than other instances of arbitrary death.

Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions 

There are more than 3,100 drug courts operating in the United States. But while the courts’ proponents say they reduce recidivism for people with substance use disorders, critics say the system abuses due process, often mandates treatment for people who don’t actually need it – people without drug dependence – and fails to provide quality care to many who do. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) assessed the availability and quality of substance use disorder treatment through drug courts in three states – Florida, New Hampshire, and New York – and found major obstacles in all three states.

Neither justice nor treatment: Drug courts in the United States

The EU and its Member States reiterated their commitment to the fulfilment of the outcomes of the UNGA Special Session and to the UNGA resolution 71/211, adopted in December 2016; as well as to the work to be implemented by WHO in addressing and countering the world drug problem.

European Union statement at the World Health Assembly on the public health dimension of the world drug problem

The NGO Delegation brings the unique, first-hand experiences and perspectives of people living with HIV and key populations to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Programme Coordinating Board (PCB). Each year, it presents a nongovernmental organizations’ (NGO) report that focuses on a critical emerging issue for affected communities and that is informed by the Delegation’s constituencies. The 2016 NGO Report is entitled An unlikely ending: ending AIDS by 2030 without sustainable funding for the community-led response. This report provides an overview of the global consensus on the need for a well-resourced community response to HIV. It outlines some of the key barriers faced by communities in terms of accessing funding from donors, and provides practical recommendations for improving financing systems so as to better support the community response.

Report by the NGO representative: An unlikely ending: ending AIDS by 2030 without sustainable funding for the community-led response

What do the latest data tell us about the European drug market? What are the new trends in drug use among European adults and school students? What are the harms associated with drug use and what is being done to counter them? These and other questions are explored in the 2017 European Drug Report, our annual overview of the drug situation in Europe. 

European Drug Report 2017

In recent years, environmental signals from both formal and informal research and monitoring sources have been indicating critical new developments within Europe’s new psychoactive substances (NPS) market. These include signs of increased and problem use of NPS among a range of demographic groups, including the use of synthetic cathinones by opioid and amphetamine injectors, the injection of synthetic cathinones by certain subgroups of men who have sex with men, reports of potent new synthetic opioids found in heroin products, and the use of synthetic cannabinoids by marginalised populations in some countries. To investigate the circumstances and impact of these developments, a targeted rapid information assessment or ‘trendspotter’ study was initiated by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and carried out between July and October 2016.

High-risk drug use and new psychoactive substances

O presente relatório apresenta um ponto da situação do fenómeno da droga na Europa, com base nas últimas informações disponíveis decorrentes das atividades de monitorização na UE. O corpo do relatório apresenta uma panorâmica europeia do mercado da droga, bem como do consumo de drogas e dos danos e respostas a nível europeu. Esta panorâmica é acompanhada por 30 relatórios nacionais complementares, bem como um extenso conjunto de dados em linha e informação metodológica. Esta secção introdutória apresenta um breve comentário analítico sobre alguns dos principais temas que emergiram dos dados deste ano. Uma vez que os problemas de drogas que a Europa enfrenta são cada vez mais influenciados por acontecimentos a nível internacional e interagem com esses acontecimentos, a análise ganha importância pelo facto de ser efetuada num contexto global mais vasto. No que respeita a dois tópicos importantes, o consumo de canábis entre os jovens e as alterações no mercado de opiáceos, a atual situação na Europa e a sua evolução são comparadas e contrastadas com as da América do Norte e conclui-se que existem semelhanças e diferenças significativas.

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Relatório Europeu sobre Drogas

La presente relazione offre un’istantanea della situazione delle droghe in Europa sulla base delle informazioni più recenti ottenute dalle attività di monitoraggio dell’UE. Si compone principalmente di una panoramica del mercato della droga, del consumo di sostanze stupefacenti e delle relative risposte a livello europeo. La integrano 30 relazioni nazionali complementari, un’ampia mole di dati online e informazioni di carattere metodologico. La presente sezione introduttiva riporta brevi osservazioni analitiche su alcuni dei temi chiave emersi dai dati di quest’anno. Poiché sui problemi che l’Europa si trova ad affrontare in materia di droga incidono sempre più gli sviluppi a livello internazionale, con i quali interagiscono, l’analisi acquista maggior valore se inserita in un più ampio contesto globale. Per due temi rilevanti, vale a dire il consumo di cannabis tra i giovani e i cambiamenti osservati nel mercato degli oppiacei, l’attuale situazione europea e la sua evoluzione sono confrontate e contrapposte con quelle dell’America settentrionale, desumendone similitudini e differenze significative.

Mantenere up-to-date con gli sviluppi politici droga iscrivendoti al IDPC mensile Alert.

Relazione europea sulla droga

Across the Americas, drug policies have failed to make a significant dent in the drug trade, while corruption and organized crime continue to thrive. At the same time, these harmful drug policies disproportionately fall on the most vulnerable, including poor women who often enter the drug trade because of desperation, lack of opportunity, and coercion. Stuck in a vicious cycle, the incarceration of these women only heightens their situation of vulnerability and takes a toll on their families and communities.

highlights various programs and legal reforms from around the world that promote more effective and humane drug policies. The examples include alternatives to incarceration for low-level, non-violent drug offenders, policy reforms, and health and social programs. Many of the briefs analyze programs specifically tailored toward women in conditions of vulnerability. While the details of each approach vary, their goal is to reduce incarceration rates, protect human rights, address public health concerns related to drug use, and assist individuals in transitioning back into their communities after their release.

 includes background information and a description of the program or reform, in addition to a section detailing outcomes and results. It is important to note, however, that while some of the approaches highlighted in this series have gone through rigorous review processes, others lack the resources to carry out formal evaluations. Despite this reality, the examples put forward in this series have all shown promise in their results.

While these programs are promising, they should not come at the expense of broader drug policy reform. Yet, in the absence of more comprehensive reforms, these innovations can assist communities caught up in vicious cycles of poverty, social exclusion, drug use, involvement in the drug trade, and incarceration.

Publications