The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, also known as World Drug Day, is recognised across the globe on June 26. This year, the Day is being celebrated under the theme: People first: Stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention.
This theme highlights the human side of the drug problem. Drug abuse and addiction are highly stigmatised issues; and people who use drugs or who have substance use disorders frequently face discrimination from the wider society, in their workplaces and sometimes even within their own families. As a result, they often do not receive the help that they require, or worse, experience undue mental and or physical harms in the process.
It is therefore imperative that people with substance use disorders be treated with compassion, respect and empathy. For this to occur, non-judgmental attitudes and language are essential and must be promoted at the national and international levels.
Likewise, there should be a focus on treatment and recovery, and punitive responses should be avoided. Together, these approaches will enable affected individuals to access much-needed assistance while maintaining their dignity.
This year’s theme also underscores the importance of prevention efforts. According to the age-old adage, “prevention is better than cure”; and this holds true for drug use and addiction – particularly when we consider the associated negative outcomes, for example, crime, violence, poor school performance, and teenage pregnancy.
As such, we must increase our efforts to help people develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to avoid, or at the very least delay, drug use.