Mark Easton’s article regarding the “World Drugs Report 2009″ quotes the report’s author, Antonio Maria Costa.
His argument sets up what some might argue is a bogus choice between total legalisation or tough criminal sanctions. But he makes it with conviction:
“Why unleash a drug epidemic in the developing world for the sake of libertarian arguments made by a pro-drug lobby that has the luxury of access to drug treatment?”
So far, so familiar. But what do you make of this?
“I appeal to the heroic partisans of the human rights cause worldwide, to help UNODC promote the right to health of drug addicts: they must be assisted and reintegrated into society,” Mr Costa demands:
“Addiction is a health condition and those affected by it should not be imprisoned… in order to reduce the security threat posed by international mafias.”
Calling for a “shift of focus” in law enforcement from drug users to drug traffickers, Mr Costa says:
“…arresting individuals and seizing drugs for their personal use is like pulling weeds – it needs to be done again the next day. The problem can only be solved by addressing the problem of slums and dereliction in our cities.”
read more from this BBC report on “Give Drug Users A Break”