The effectiveness of the so-called war on drugs – the global campaign to prohibit narcotics and prosecute those who use and sell them – is often hotly debated. As the UN prepares for a major vote on international drug policy, a multi-disciplinary team of researchers has presented evidence that current strategies only increase public health risks, generating massive increases in infectious diseases, overdoses, and homicides. Based on their findings, the authors claim it is time for global drug policy to take a new direction, urging an end to the war on drugs.
Consisting of biologists, lawyers, campaigners, and a range of other experts from across the world, the Johns Hopkins-Lancet Commission on Drug Policy and Health has expressed concern that current drug policies are “not scientifically grounded.” It has therefore “sought to examine the emerging scientific evidence on public health issues arising from drug-control policy,” publishing its report today in The Lancet.
Among the most significant findings is the fact that criminal persecution of drug users appears to be driving the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C. This is largely caused by the unsafe sharing of needles, as injectors are often denied access to safe syringes in countries where funding is directed toward imprisoning drug users rather than setting up needle-exchange centers.
Read the article here: http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/research-suggests-war-drugs-creates-public-health-risks
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