PURPOSE: The United Nations General Assembly by resolution 42/112 of 7 December 1987, decided to observe 26 June as the 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.
FORUM: “People first: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengten Prevention.” International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2023. This year’s the United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking focuses on the need to put people first by ending stigma and discrimination and strengthening prevention. This means stressing rehabilitation, rather than punishment and incarceration for minor drug offences. Over time, the regular or habitual use of drugs becomes a crutch and only adds to the stress. Drugs can also cause other harms, including:
Cocaine: Highly addictive, cocaine is involved in nearly one in five overdose deaths; its health effects include asthma, bowel decay, and increased risk of HIV.
Methamphetamine (Meth): Meth causes devastating health effects, and sometimes death, even on the first try. Meth speeds up the body’s systems to dangerous levels. Chronic users experience anxiety, confusion, insomnia, paranoia, aggression, and more.
Prescription and illicit opioids: Highly addictive, the substances are the top cause of overdose deaths; health effects include confusion, nausea, constipation, coma, and brain damage.
Marijuana: Even though it is legal in many states, studies link marijuana use to various negative outcomes.
Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #26june, #PutPeoplefirst #WorldDrugDay, #DrugPrevention, #worlddrugreport.
EVENT: The UNODC theme for the 2023 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is “People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention”. On 26 June 2023, at 2:00 pm Vienna time in Board-Room D (VIC), the Chair of the 66th session of the CND will hold an event. Join the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs Special event to commemorate the day and to launch the 2023 UNODC World Drug Report.
STATEMENTS: Read the Statement from the United Nations Secretary-General on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2023; June 26th and Statement from the UNODC Executive Director on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2023; June 26th.
PODCASTS: Drug dependence treatment is an important strategy to improve well-being and social functioning of people with dependence and to reduce its health and social consequences. Treatment, care and rehabilitation of people with drug use disorder. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
Campaign materials: Perhaps you are a policy maker looking for materials on evidence- based prevention, or a parent worried by your teen's behaviour?. Experts have developed materials that inform and help identify effective ways to support youth to grow healthy and resilient. Get the campaign materials!
WHY WE OBSERVE THE DAY?
Drug use—including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, as well as prescription drug misuse and illicit opioids—among adults is on the rise. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased drug use. Different drugs pose different dangers. Drug use can lead to dependence and addiction, injury and accidents, health problems, sleep issues, and more. Drug use affects you and those close to you. Know there is help.
The pressures on adults are real. Building careers, buying homes, getting married, having kids, and trying to do it all well comes with a lot of pressure. COVID-19 has magnified the stress. Some turn to drugs to cope. Just because some drugs are legal, doesn’t mean they are less dangerous.
On World Drug Day, UNODC addresses existing and emerging transnational drug challenges stemming from situations of crisis.
The UNODC continues to advocate to protect the right to health for the most vulnerable, including children and youth, people using drugs, people with drug use disorders and people who need access to controlled medicines.
The Day will provide some facts and practical solutions to the current world drug problem, to attain a vision of health for all based on science.
During the Day, we promote activities that lead to enhanced communication, cooperation and scientific, cultural and social exchanges between NGOs, UN agencies and member states.
ACTIONS
Raise awareness about drug usage and illegal trafficking.
Speak about the negative impact and consequences of drugs on society.
Take urgent action to protect people
Strengthen drug use prevention and treatment
Tackle illicit drug supply.
share research findings, evidence-based data, and solutions, to continue tapping into a shared spirit of solidarity.
Advance scientific investigation on the etiology and prevention of social, physical and mental health, and academic problems
Support scientific research on drug use and addiction.
Advance science on drug use and addiction.
Establish and increase professionalism in the fields of substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Assist national and international policy makers and practitioners to apply prevention science to address substance use.
Bring people and knowledge together to reduce the harm of alcohol and other drugs on society.
Sustain efforts to prevent drug abuse among public officers. Youth are vulnerable to drug use, but they can also play a critical role to prevent substance use and promote health.
PARTNERSHIPS
The Day is organized by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs; The International Narcotics Control Board; The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) the Organization of American States (OAS), the African Union and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). With the collaboration of the Cooperation Programme between Latin America, Caribbean and the European Union on Drugs Policies (COPOLAD), The Athena Forum, the International Technology Transfer Center (ITTC), the European Drug Monitoring Centre (EMCDDA), the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards (EDPQS), the European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR), the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC), the Canadian Centre of Drug Abuse (CCSA), the Society for Prevention Research (SPR), the European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) and Applied Prevention Science International (APSI), the Drug Advisory Programme (DAP) of the International Society of Substance use abuse (ISSUP), the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR), the Adfam, the Applied Prevention Science International (APSI), the Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. , the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM), the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC), and the Society for Prevention Research (SPR).