Media/News > Press Releases > 29.06.05 World Drug Report

World Drug Report struggles to put a positive spin on disastrous failings of the global ‘War on Drugs'

The UN annual World Drug Report is published in Stockholm on June 29 th . Leading UK drug policy organisation Transform Drug Policy Foundation has drawn attention to the ongoing failure of global drug prohibition and its negative impact.

Transform director Danny Kushlick said :

“Like all the previous world drug reports, this latest shows how the UN-led enforcement of global drug prohibition has been a striking failure, something that no amount of spin or cherry picking of facts can conceal.”

“Not only has the UN and US led war on drugs failed on its own terms, it has been actively counterproductive, creating chaos from Bogata to Brixton, for over 40 years now.”

“Hundreds of billions have been spent on increasingly heavy handed enforcement and interdiction efforts, including large scale chemical crop eradication, but drug use and drug production have continued to rise.”

“The global drugs market, created by prohibition, is so lucrative that all drug control efforts are essentially futile – at best just moving the problem somewhere else.

“The main effect of these interventions has been the enrichment of violent organised crime networks and terror groups across the world. Drug profits are fuelling conflict in unstable regions such as Colombia and Afghanistan, and corruption of police, politicians and judiciary.”

“The UN drug strategy's slogan is “A drug free world, we can do it!”. Attempts to achieve this fantasy are destroying the lives of millions of marginalised peoples across the world, for no benefit. We believe it is time the UK Government and UNODC acknowledge that the ‘war on drugs' can never be won, undertake a scientific impact assessment of the current policy, and begin a sincere examination of alternative policies to the catastrophic failures of prohibition”

Transform support the recommendation made by the UK Parliamentary Home Affairs Select Committee in 2002 that:

“The [UK] Government initiates a discussion within the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of alternative ways — including the possibility of legalisation and regulation — to tackle the global drugs dilemma.”

Ends

Further info:

World Drug Report download (UNODC website)

US attacks UN global harm reduction initiatives

Transform briefing on UN Drug Control

TNI drugs and democracy website
An excellent source of high quality factual analysis on global drug control