Text 15.1. The global drug problem

Humanity has used drugs since the earliest times, mainly to relieve pain or for ritual purposes. Recently, however, this use has degenerated into abuse, dependence and crime. Illicit drug production, trafficking and consumption have spread at an epidemic rate and reached every part of the globe. No nation remains immune to the devastating problems caused by drug abuse on the user, the family, the community and society at large. Drug addicts can't fully participate in the society.

Drug abuse and trafficking lead to the spreading of violence, increased criminality and economic dislocation.

Developing countries have been particularly affected by the adverse consequences of drug abuse, due to a lack of resources that prevents them from adopting the necessary defensive measures. The international community has become increasingly aware of the danger it is facing and has realized that the struggle against trafficking in illicit drugs is too big for any one country to tackle alone. A global problem such as drug abuse requires a global response.

International cooperation to address the global drug problem is founded upon the principle of shared responsibility¹.

The overwhelming majority of States have developed and acceded to the three international drug control conventions that make up the international drug control system, which in turn is built upon the principle of shared responsibility. These conventions are the best available tools for protecting humanity from drug abuse and the impact of trafficking, illicit cultivation and production of drugs. The major international drug control conventions are mutually supportive and complementary.

1. The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 is an internationaltreaty to prohibit production and supply of specific drugs and of drugs with similar effects except under licence for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research. The Convention has been used as the basis for the standardization of national drug-control laws.

2. The Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 is a UnitedNations treaty designed to control psychoactive drugs. The Convention also called for coordinated, universal action to implement effective measures to prevent the diversion and abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

3. The United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 complements the other twoconventions by reinforcing the obligation of countries to apply criminal sanctions to combat all the aspects of illicit production, possession and trafficking of drugs.

Recognizing the adverse consequences of drug abuse, leading governments all over the world adopt a series of wide-ranging countermeasures. New drug control laws, drafted in accordance with the International Conventions and recommendations of the United Nations, have been adopted by many parliaments. Governments have approved Programmes of Comprehensive Measures against Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse.

Text 15.1. The global drug problem - student2.ru

¹Common and shared responsibility is a principle of international law and isapplied in many fields of cooperation. It provides the framework for a cooperative partnership among a community of parties, based on a common understanding of a shared problem, a common goal and the necessity of reaching that goal through common and coordinated action.

The main objective of these Programmes is to prevent the escalation of drug abuse and trafficking, and to reduce the level of drug-related crimes. The Programmes envisage the development of an adequate legal and institutional framework to promote treatment and rehabilitation for drug addicts, strengthen controls over drugs used for illicit purposes, interdict drug trafficking, and expand drug control contacts and cooperation at the international level.

EXERCISES

I. Match the words from the text with their corresponding definitions.

1. abuse a. to ruin

2. to devastate b. to picture in the mind

3. adverse c. to prohibit

4. to envisage d. unfavourable

5. to interdict e. wrong or bad use

II. Match the adjectives on the left with the nouns on the right to make a word combination. Consult the text.

1. organized a. response

2. economic b. trafficking

3. drug c. measures

4. illicit d. dislocation

5. global e. crime

6. comprehensive f. addicts

III. Complete the sentences by matching left to the right.

1. No nation is immune to the devastating problems caused by ...

a. an adequate legal and institutional framework.

2.	Drug abuse and trafficking	b. the danger it is facing today.
lead to ...
3.	People are enslaved by	c. the adverse consequences of drug
drugs and prevented from ...	abuse.
4.	Developing countries have	d. the spread of violence, increased
been particularly affected by ...	criminality and economic dislocation.

5.	The international community	e. drug abuse on the user, the family,
has become aware of ...	the community and society at large.
6.	The Programmes envisaged	f. participating fully in society.
the development of ...