The world commemorates this Saturday, 26 June, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, instituted by the United Nations with aim of helping and sensitising people to be conscious about the harmful effects of using drugs.
In today’s world a great deal of youths are in danger due to the abuse of drugs and their illicit traffic, often caused by people who do not care about the harm they cause on others, thinking only about getting rich.
On a message in the ambit of this date, which is being commemorated under the motto “Think about health not drugs”, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, recognises that the abuse and traffic of drugs represent a serious obstacle to human development.
Ban Ki-Moon writes that the illicit trade of drugs also threatens governance, institutions and social cohesion.
On the other hand, he continues, drugs related criminality increases the vulnerability to instability and poverty.
For this reason, the UN Secretary-General calls on all states to be part of the Convention on Transnational Organised Crime.
According to estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO), in the world, about 200 million people use illegal drugs, which represents 4.7 per cent of the world’s inhabitants aged over 14.
The WHO says that these figures are quite alarming, but the effects of drugs use go beyond the harm on users, causing incalculable damages to society.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
