The Presidential Proclamation No. 264 on the IDADAIT observance was issued on June 1, 1988, in the Philippines. Since then, the Dangerous Drugs Board has spearheaded the annual observance of the IDADAIT.

International Event

The day welcomes people from various countries to join hands and spread the knowledge on World drug day. Events like workshops, symposia, and banners can be utilized to educate the general public on the issue of drug abuse and combat misinformation.

Virtually one can share the verified facts on drugs, their health risks, and solutions to tackle the world drug problem through #ShareFactsOnDrugs, #SaveLives. This would help formulate evidence-based prevention, treatment, and care for the affected individuals.

Role of UNODC

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations office, established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program (UNDCP) and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division in the United Nations Office at Vienna. This was later renamed the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2002.

UNODC has been actively involved in making the world a safer place from drug abuse, organized crime, corruption, and terrorism. All these threats are tackled by the organization to establish healthy, peaceful, and secure well-being for all.

“Vulnerable and marginalized groups, youth, women and the poor pay the price for the world drug problem. The COVID-19 crisis and economic downturn threaten to compound drug dangers further still, when our health and social systems have been brought to the brink and our societies are struggling to cope. We need all governments to show greater solidarity and provide support, to developing countries most of all, to tackle illicit drug trafficking and offer evidence-based services for drug use disorders and related diseases, so we can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, promote justice and leave no one behind,” says UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly.

World Drug Report

The annual World Drug Report is dispensed by UNODC which braces the highest standards in presenting statistical and factual data to both Member States and the general public. It addresses the current world drug problem, obtained through surveying, compiling, and analyzing researched data from various official sources, field offices, local partners, Member States, and fellow UN agencies.

The global health crisis posed by the COVID-19 pandemic has very well demonstrated the need for collective approaches in gaining a vision of health for all. Thus the global initiative is mandatory to bridge the gap between facts and misconceptions.

This year, the World Drug Report 2021 was launched on 24 June 2021 that covers the global overview of drug demand and drug supply and thereby provides an analysis of the latest estimates and trends in the markets of cannabis, opioids, cocaine, and amphetamine-type stimulants.

An early assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug market dynamics and the way drug service provision has adapted to the new situation in many countries is also included in the report.

Virtual Event of IDADAIT 2021

The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) encourages all stakeholders to be part of the 2021 IDADAIT celebration by undertaking activities, such as displaying tarpaulins, banners, or streamers in strategic places within their offices.

The main objective of the DDB is to encourage attempts as PADS (Communications Workshop for Implementing Agencies) enters its last year of implementation and sustains momentum in the campaign against illegal drugs. Online support can be exercised by using #IDADAITPH2021 and #PADSulong.

Several agencies and organizations are also invited to host their activities, abiding by the protocols of the COVID-19 pandemic that is set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases relative to the conduct of public events that require a physical gathering of people.

The official Facebook page of the DDB is thereby set to live stream the IDADAIT celebration and launch its new information.

World Drug Report 2021

• Around 275 million people used drug globally in 2020
• 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders
• In the last 24 years, cannabis potency has increased by as much as four times in some parts of the world
• Percentage of adolescents who perceived the drug as harmful fell by as much as 40%
• Between 2010-2019 the number of people using drugs increased by 22%
• About 5.5% of the population aged between 15 and 64 years have used drugs at least once in the past year
• Globally, over 11 million people are estimated to inject drugs, half of whom are living with Hepatitis C
• Opioids continue to account for the largest burden of disease attributed to drug use

With the revolutionizing trend of drug use, it is important to realize the shortcomings and ill-effects of the drugs on health and thereby spread the right information for a better drug-free world.

References:

1. International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_Against_Drug_Abuse_and_Illicit_Trafficking)
2. International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking | 26 June – (https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-drug-abuse-day)
3. International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2021 – (https://www.ddb.gov.ph/idadait)
4. International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – (https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drugs/index-new.html)
5. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime – (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Office_on_Drugs_and_Crime)
6. UNODC World Drug Report 2021: pandemic effects ramp up drug risks, as youth underestimate cannabis dangers – (https://www.unodc.org/unodc/press/releases/2021/June/unodc-world-drug-report-2021_-pandemic-effects-ramp-up-drug-risks–as-youth-underestimate-cannabis-dangers.html)

Source: Medindia