Pubdate: Tue, 03 Mar 2009 Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB) Copyright: 2009 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.winnipegsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503 Author: Mindelle Jacobs Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Drug Traffickers Missed Memo A decade ago, world leaders at a special UN session adopted an unrealistic but laudable goal -- achieving "real progress" in reducing illicit drug production by 2008. "It is time for every nation to say 'no' to drugs," said then UN secretary general Kofi Annan at the 1998 UN gathering. "It is time for all nations to say 'yes' to the challenge of working towards a drug-free world." The drug cultivators, traffickers and users don't seem to have paid any attention. "I think one would say that the situation's not getting better," says Michel Perron, CEO of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which sets policy on drug-related matters, acknowledges that the goals remain distant but it is still hoping for a drug-free world in another decade, says Perron. And so government representatives from around the globe will gather at a CND meeting in Vienna next week to map out a strategy for the next 10 years. Perron is scheduled to address the plenary session -- the only presentation to be made by an NGO. He's been attending CND meetings for years and is under no illusion that international drug policy is about to undergo a massive transformation. "Progress is slow at this level," he concedes. "One of the problems with the global discussion on drug policy is that it is hyper-politicized. And, therefore, it becomes very difficult to make changes that are seen to be politically acceptable across the different countries." Policy debate Not everything is impossible in the global arena, mind you. Last summer, he brought together 300 NGOs from around the world to debate how to improve drug policy. Despite the widely varying ideological positions, the NGOs agreed that illicit drug use is a public health issue and that the approaches to address the problem should be based on evidence and the mitigation of harm. It doesn't mesh with Stephen Harper's plan for mandatory minimum sentences for drug dealers, of course. Hard-core gangsters won't be deterred by such penalties. For one thing, the drug kingpins are rarely caught. Will the Tories ever learn? One of the key messages Perron plans to deliver to the UN session next week is the need for more emphasis on prevention and treatment. "The policies made (in the past) didn't always reflect the evidence," he says. "The issue is not so much a drug-free world as a world free of drug harm." He's optimistic that the UN has reached a "tipping point" on the issue. "I think there's an acknowledgement that they really have to look at things in a different manner." Educating Harper, meanwhile, continues to be a challenge. For a year, University of Victoria drug policy researcher Susan Boyd and the Vancouver-based Beyond Prohibition Coalition have been sending the PM weekly readings about more effective harm reduction initiatives. They sent their last package last month. Educating Harper You can read the material at www.educatingharper.com and fire off an e-mail to Harper if you like. "Why should we leave the regulation of these drugs to criminal gangs and the black market?" asks Boyd. "We would fare better as a society regulating them ourselves." A striking snippet from the website: In 2002 in B.C., 27% of deaths linked to various conditions were related to smoking or booze -- the legal substances. Drug-induced mortality represented only 1.4% of the deaths. Our politicians clearly need an ideology transplant. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom