Annual Report 2003

ACCORD	ASEAN and China Cooperative Operations in Dangerous Drugs
ADD	attention deficit disorder
ADHD	attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
AIDS	acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
ASEAN	Association of South-East Asian Nations
CENDRO	Centre for Drug Control Planning (Mexico)
CICAD	Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission
CIS	Commonwealth of Independent States
CONSEP	Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Control Board
delta-9-TCH	delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
DEVIDA	National Commission for Development and a Drug-free Lifestyle (Peru)
EAC	East African Community
ECO	Economic Cooperation Organization
ECOWAS	Economic Community of West African States
GBL	gamma-butyrolactone
GHB	gamma-hydroxybutyric acid
HIV	human immunodeficiency virus
Interpol	International Criminal Police Organization
LSD	lysergic acid diethylamide
MDMA	methylenedioxymethamphetamine
MERCOSUR	Common Market of the Southern Cone
Reitox	European Information Network on Drugs and Drug Addiction
SADC	South African Development Community
SEVIP	Sistema Ecuatoriano de Vigilancia Integral para la Prevención de Droga (Ecuador)
SIMCI	Integrated System for Illicit Crop Monitoring (Colombia)
TADOC	Turkish International Academy against Drugs and Organized Crime
WHO	World Health Organization

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country,territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Countries and areas are referred to by the names that were in official use at the time the relevant data were collected.

Foreword

In a continuation of its study of the impact of drugs on society, the International Narcotics Control Board, in the first chapter of its report for 2003, reviews the relationship between drug abuse, crime and violence at the microlevel. The impact of drugs, crime and violence at that level is equally important as, and deeply connected with, the macro-impact of transnational illegal drug markets. At the microlevel, drug abuse is often linked with antisocial behaviour such as delinquency, crime and violence and has negative consequences for individuals, families, neighbourhoods and communities that need to be addressed by the international community and individual Governments.

Several factors are regarded as contributing to the link between drug abuse, crime and violence, such as the type of drug involved, the amounts of it that are abused, the person abusing the drug and the environment in which the drug is taken. The emergence of the abuse of crack cocaine has been associated with a rise in crime and violence in many cities throughout the world. The abuse of some other drugs has been similarly associated with crime and violence. In some instances, violence is committed by the drug abuser in order to generate income to purchase drugs and is also often associated with the illicit traffic in drugs.

The review by the Board shows that the relatively small group of serious and violent offenders who are drug abusers accounts for a disproportionate amount of all serious crime committed by delinquents. The review also shows that a large number of young people who are involved in drugs and violent behaviour often grow out of that violence and drug abuse once they reach adulthood.

Economic opportunities provided by drug trafficking can lead to rivalry among drug gangs as they compete for a larger share in the illicit market. Such rivalries frequently lead to violence, to the detriment of the local community. Violence, crime and drugs have a disproportionate impact on certain individuals and segments of society and curtail the freedom of movement of women, the elderly and children in dysfunctional communities where crime is rampant and fear of crime is widespread. Women and children who abuse drugs are at increased risk of becoming victims of violence.

Law enforcement intervention has often been seen as the only viable response to violence and other crimes associated with drug abuse, but there is a need to explore other means of addressing such crimes. It is suggested that persons who abuse drugs and engage in crime and violence should be reformed through a multidisciplinary approach that includes:

The Board addresses the issue of “harm reduction” in the second chapter of its report for 2003. In its report for 1993, the Board acknowledged the importance of certain aspects of “harm reduction” as a tertiary prevention strategy for demand reduction purposes. That view still holds true. Any measure adopted to reduce harm associated with illicit drug use should, however, always be implemented in the context of a comprehensive strategy aimed at reducing the demand for illicit drugs. Such measures cannot therefore replace demand reduction programmes or be carried out at their expense. Most importantly, “harm reduction” can never be an end in itself, nor should it be the overall guiding principle behind national drug demand reduction policy.

While, in principle, measures to reduce harm in drug-dependent persons should not be seen as being in contradiction with the international drug control treaties, some so-called “harm reduction” approaches are not what they seem to be in that they cause more harm than they purport to reduce. “Harm reduction” approaches should not be seen to condone or even promote drug abuse but should be seen to contribute to a reduction in the abuse of drugs.

The year 2003 marked the fifth anniversary of the twentieth special session of the General Assembly, devoted to countering the world drug problem together. In April 2003, ministers and other government representatives participating in the ministerial segment of the forty-sixth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs reviewed the progress achieved since the convening of the twentieth special session of the Assembly in 1998. In their joint ministerial statement, they reaffirmed the commitment of the international community to the fight against drug abuse and illicit drug production and trafficking. They reiterated the importance of implementing fully the international drug control treaties and safeguarding the integrity of the international drug control regime. The Board calls on Governments to implement the action plans adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session. Governments should develop objective and reliable mechanisms for making effective assessments of the impact of drug policies and should implement sustainable drug supply and demand reduction programmes with both shorter- and longer-term objectives.

The support that the international drug control treaties enjoy among members of civil society became evident in April 2003, when more than 1.3 million signatures of ordinary citizens from 60 countries were presented to the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Chairperson of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. At the ceremony, a former drug abuser spoke movingly about her experiences and exhorted Governments to work with non-governmental organizations and civil society to protect persons at risk of drug abuse and to promote national compliance with the international drug control treaties.

The Board believes that more needs to be done to prevent drug abuse and to protect drug abusers and persons at risk of drug abuse. Governments and non-governmental organizations have roles to play in that regard. All must work together to stop the misery and pain associated with drug abuse.