On Thursday, June 26, 2014, hundreds of activists from more than 75 cities around the world made their voices heard within the framework of the campaign Support. Don’t Punish. The purpose of this day of action is to raise public awareness about the damage caused by current drug policies. Throughout the day, many activities will be carried out simultaneously in front of buildings and iconic landmarks in different cities around the world. In Brussels, a symbolic gathering of drug users, health professionals and representatives of civil society will take place at the foot of the Atomium on June 26 at 1pm.
The campaign Support. Don’t Punish. calls on governments to end the war against drugs. This war has not succeeded in reducing demand or consumption of drugs. On the contrary, it led to epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and hepatitis worldwide. It has also fueled human rights violations and led to the mass imprisonment of the most vulnerable and poorest people. Its implementation has cost billions of dollars.
“The campaign Support. Don’t Punish. highlights the magnitude of the disaster caused by the war against drugs for half a century,” says Ann Fordham, Director of the International Consortium on Drug Policies (ICDP). “We know that this war is unwinnable and generates unjustified expenditure. Instead of punishing drug users, we should offer services to them to meet the health or social problems they are facing, while respecting their human rights.”
In terms of drug policy, the world is moving. Bruno Valkeneers, an antiprohibitionist liaison officer, explains: “This movement was initiated with the Vienna Declaration in July 2010, calling for drug policies based primarily on public health. The war on drugs waged for 50 years is a failure; despite how the considerable police, military and financial means are spent, drugs remain available and consumed, and criminal trafficking organizations are increasingly powerful, violent and prosperous. Repression and criminalization of drug use, without reducing the number of consumers, is exacerbating the damage incurred and makes difficult the access to information and tools that consumers need to take care of their health.”
Catherine Van Huyck, Director of the Association Modus Vivendi, continues: "In this context, the harm reduction programs are struggling to try to introduce some social justice, a shy rebalancing for drug users who can not or do not want not go into the paths for abstinence. If the reduction of risks associated with drug use is effective in terms of public health, it is only possible if consumers are respected in their existence and their rights as citizens, according to democratic principles outlined in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. The drug issue is therefore not a medical or legal issue. It is first and foremost a question of society, namely social, ethical and cultural.”
Sebastian Alexander, Director of the Brussels Fedito, insists: "Did you know that in Belgium, 62% of public spending on illegal drugs are assigned to security, 34% for assistance and only 3% in the prevention and 1 % to risk reduction. It is time to rebalance this deficit. It is about time to recognize risk reduction as a pillar of our health policy on drugs – complementary to preventive and curative aspects – and to define a clear legislative framework to facilitate the implementation of actions of risk reduction while protecting workers and ensuring access for drug users to these services."
Alexis Deswaef, President of the League for Human Rights, calls for the establishment of a proactive approach to reducing risk: “By opting for an exclusively security approach to drug use, successive governments are moving away from a comprehensive and integrated approach to the phenomenon. Yet, it should focus on public health considerations in this area. It is therefore urgent that the next Belgian government clarifies the regulation of drug use and implements a proactive policy to reduce risks, respectful of the rights and freedoms of users. Following this, the Parliament must initiate an ethical in-depth debate on the possibility of decriminalizing behaviors surrounding drug use, as it is the case in Portugal.”
June 26 is also the International Day of United Nations against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking. This day is used by many governments to celebrate the war against drugs, and it is even used in some countries to organize public executions. The campaign Support. Don’t Punish. wants to take back this day and to promote an approach to drugs that is more effective and more humane, based on public health and human rights.
The list of top political personalities demanding an end to the war against drugs is increasing: Kofi Annan, President of Uruguay Jose Mujica, former Swiss President Ruth Dreifuss, Brad Pitt, Sir Richard Branson and Russell Brand are some of them: http://supportdontpunish.org
ON THE CAMPAIGN
The campaign Support. Don’t punish. is a global initiative led by the International Consortium on Drug Policies (ICDP), the International Network of Drug Consumers (INPUD), the International Harm Reduction Association (HRI) and the International Alliance for HIV/AIDS. It advocates that governments begin to invest in more efficient and effective responses to reduce risks for drug users, for the decriminalization of drug users, as well as removing other laws impeding public health. More information about the campaign: http://supportdontpunish.org and http://supportdontpunish.org/day-of-action-2014/
WORLD ACTION DAY
On June 26, we expect many events organized in Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Island Mauritius, Mexico, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Belgium and many other countries!
For more details, click here.
For the 2013 events, click here or watch the video!
