n April 2016, governments from around the world will convene in New York for the biggest global debate on drugs in nearly two decades – the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the World Drug Problem.
At the last UNGASS on drugs in 1998, global leaders pledged to secure a “drug-free world,” a goal that is not only unrealistic but has contributed to the needless criminalization of people who use drugs, soaring rates of drug-related deaths, HIV and hepatitis C epidemics, executions that violate international law and a restriction of access to essential pain relief medications.
The global drug policy system is well and truly broken and the 2016 UNGASS presents a vital opportunity to shift the debate and begin to ground drug policy firmly in public health, human rights and compassion. The time for reform is now!
http://www.talkingdrugs.org/demand-drug-policy-reform-ungass