ISLAMABAD – The General Assembly, in 1987, decided to observe 26 June as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse. It took that action on 7 December 1987 (resolution 42/112), following a recommendation of the 1987 International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which, on 26 June, had adopted the Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Outline of Future Activities in Drug Abuse Control. Pakistan has prepared a Master Plan for Drug Abuse Control envisaging a three billion rupee programme for drug reduction activities in the country. This was stated by a senior official of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) at a ceremony held in Islamabad today to launch 2008 World Drug Report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
UN Secretary-General issued the following message on this Day
“Ten years ago, in response to the seriousness of the world drug problem, Member States of the United Nations convened a Special Session of the General Assembly, where they committed themselves to a vigorous plan of action to reduce both the supply and demand for drugs.
Today, drugs continue to destroy lives, generate crime and threaten sustainable development. But we also have a better understanding of how to confront drug abuse and trafficking. Policymakers can draw on a growing body of evidence about drug dependence and drug-use trends.
International cooperation and technical assistance are improving law enforcement capabilities. Increased development assistance is helping to reduce poverty and the sale of illicit crops by giving farmers sustainable alternatives. A stronger focus on prevention and treatment is putting health at the centre of drug-control strategies and helping to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS. And there is a growing consensus, both within communities and among states, that drug control is a shared responsibility in which we all play a part.
We still have much work to do to reduce our vulnerability to drugs. States with weak criminal justice systems and limited law enforcement capabilities need assistance to reduce illicit drug trafficking, which spreads crime, corruption and instability, and which ultimately endangers the successful realization of the Millennium Development Goals.
As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I remind all Member States of their responsibility to fully respect the rights of prisoners who are drug dependent or are in custody for drug-related crimes, especially their rights to life and a fair trial. I also call on Member States to ensure that people who are struggling with drug addiction be given equal access to health and social services. No one should be stigmatized or discriminated against because of their dependence on drugs.
Pakistan has prepared a Master Plan for Drug Abuse Control envisaging a three billion rupee programme for drug reduction activities in the country. This was stated by a senior official of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) at a ceremony held in Islamabad today to launch 2008 World Drug Report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
He said the ANF last year seized 15355 kilograms of Opium, 13865 kilos of heroin-morphine and 14928 kilograms of Hashish. He said there are around 628,000 drug addicts in Pakistan, 77 percent of which are heroin users. An alarming trend is that the estimated number of injecting drug users has doubled since 2000. The highest prevalence of opioid use is in Balochistan, followed by NWFP, Punjab and Sindh.
Launching the World Drug Report, a UN official said the total area under opium cultivation globally rose to 235,700 hactres last year, 17% high from 2006. This was almost entirely due to the 17% expansion of cultivation in Afghanistan where area under opium cultivation is 193,000 hactres. Afghanistan alone accounted for over 92% of global opium production.
He said approximately 208 million people or 4.9% of the world’s population aged 15 to 64 have used drugs at least once last year. Secretary Narcotics Control Division K.B. Rind said all nations of the world have to cooperate regionally and internationally to eradicate the menace of drugs for ever. He said Balochistan has been made poppy free province due to effective coordinated efforts of the government and international agencies and all segments of the population.