International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: June 26th

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a global observance that takes place on the 26th day of June during each year, was started back in 1987. The overall goal of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is to increase awareness regarding the societal ills and other problems that often arise due to the use, trafficking and sales of illegal substances.

According to the International Narcotics Control Board (2018), the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is an annual reminder of the significance of worldwide efforts to prevent and alleviate suffering caused by drug abuse and  trafficking as well as the importance of assuring access to controlled substances for medical and scientific use.

Drug abuse and trafficking can be terribly destructive to individuals, families, schools, communities and societies as a whole. Drug use disorders are a major public health problem. Drug addiction is a dreadful disease process that destroys peoples’ health statuses, destabilizes families, places enormous burdens on the healthcare system and causes undue strains on the limited resources of various social services agencies.

Moreover, drug abuse and trafficking can be extremely detrimental to the safety and security of people, including those who become innocent victims that get caught in the crossfire. Drug trafficking, once seen primarily as a social and criminal issue, has been transformed in recent years into a massive threat to the health and safety of people and regions (United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe, 2019).

Allied healthcare workers can have a beneficial influence on children and young people by providing education on the risks of illegal drug use, identifying risk factors, noticing risky behaviors and intervening in a timely manner to help prevent and/or treat substance abuse issues before they burgeon into more serious problems. Thus, people who work in the healthcare system are integral to the fight against illicit drugs.

REFERENCES

International Narcotics Control Board. (2018, June 26).  Message on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from https://www.incb.org/incb/en/news/press-releases/2018/international-narcotics-control-board_-message-on-international-day-against-drug-abuse-and-illicit-trafficking.html

United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe. (2019). The Secretary General — Message on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from  https://www.unric.org/en/drugs/27032-the-secretary-general-message-on-the-international-day-against-drug-abuse-and-illicit-trafficking