For too long the failures of the War on Drugs have been highlighted, and over and over again they have been ignored by those in power to do anything about it. It’s commonly accepted by many in the field of drug law reform that politicians know that the system needs to change, yet in public they’re too scared to raise their heads and call for what needs to be done. Even David Cameron knows this, when he was a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee he voted in favour of calls for the UN body on drug policy to look at regulation of drugs.
A historic moment is the coming. “In days, a global commission including Kofi Annan and five other senior statesmen will break the taboo and publicly call for a move from prohibition towards decriminalization and regulation of drugs.” This will be the first time a (former) Secretary-General of the United Nations has called for an end to the UN conventions on drugs of 1961, 1971, and 1988. The UN conventions mean that any country, regardless of what their governments believe, cannot legally regulate the control of drugs in a way that shall reduce harm to our society.
To coincide with this, Avaaz.org is currently collecting signatures for a petition that shall be presented to world leaders, but only if enough people sign it! Lets stop letting the politicians get away with saying that we, the public, do not want this horrendous policy to continue. Go to “End the War on Drugs!” petition now.
“We call on you to end the war on drugs and the prohibition regime, and move towards a system based on decriminalisation, regulation and education. This 50 year old policy has failed, fuels violent organised crime, devastates lives and is costing billions. It is time for a humane and effective approach.“
Make your voice count. Share the petition with family and friends.
Second image: Mexico drug war murders: Federal police officers take suspects into custody after a shooting in Tijuana. Photograph: Shaul Schwarz/Getty Images (guardian.co.uk [14 January 2011])
See also: Why should I get involved in SSDP?
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