IHRC Commemorates Int’l Day Against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking
Nigeria: The Special Monitoring Mission of the International Human Rights Commission (SMM IHRC) in Abuja joined the world in commemoration of the 2023 World Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Jordan 93.9FM.
The program led by the Zonal Volunteers Coordinator in Abuja, Comrade Adèoye David flanked by other Volunteers, Comrade Paul and Divine was done to create awareness and enlighten the public on the abuse of drugs.
Scholars have argued that tens of millions of people suffer from drug use disorders while less than one-fifth are in treatment.
Drug users are doubly victimized: first by the harmful effects of the drugs themselves, and second by the stigma and discrimination they face.
People who use drugs can often face significant barriers to treatment and even health services for infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Meanwhile, drug traffickers continue to prey on drug users, rapidly escalating the production of dangerous, highly addictive synthetic drugs.
This year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking focuses on the need to put people first by ending stigma and discrimination and strengthening prevention.
This means stressing rehabilitation, rather than punishment and incarceration for minor drug offenses. It means upholding the human rights of people who use drugs, including by expanding prevention and treatment programs and health services.
It also means protecting people and communities alike by ending impunity for drug traffickers profiting from people’s pain. See pictures below:
Reported:
Adeoye David,
IHRC SMM’S Zonal Coordinator Abuja
Editorial:
Fidelis Onakpoma
Editor-in-Chief, IHRC Worldwide
