cannabisnews.com: World Drug Report 2000 World Drug Report 2000 Posted by FoM on January 22, 2001 at 14:42:33 PT For Immediate Release Source: UNDCP The illicit drug trade touches millions of lives in both developed and developing countries. Its most negative impact is concentrated amongst the vulnerable and marginalized of our societies. The UN estimates that some 180 million people worldwide - 4.2 per cent of people aged 15 years and above - were consuming drugs in the late 1990s; this figure includes 144 million consuming cannabis, 29 million people consuming amphetaminetype stimulants, 14 million people taking cocaine and 13 million people abusing opiates, 9 million of whom were addicted to heroin. Economic reliance on the drug trade, and drug addiction, leaves many individuals open to exploitation by criminals and criminal organisations; threatening the health of men, women and children, the rule of law, and ultimately, the vitality and strength of all our communities. However, for the first time in recent history, global production of drugs such as heroin and cocaine is no longer growing, but shows signs of stabilization and even decline. Global coca leaf and cocaine manufacture continued to fall in 1999 by 7 per cent and was 20 per cent lower than in 1992/93. Illicit opium production, the raw material for the manufacture of morphine and heroin, declined in 2000 by at least 17 per cent and was some 15 per cent lower than in 1994. Production of opium poppy and coca leaf is concentrated in an ever smaller number of countries. This makes concerted efforts, assisted by alternative development, an increasingly viable option to achieve the targets set out in the 1998 Special Session of the General Assembly which aim at a substantial reduction if not elimination of such production by the year 2008. Progress is also being reported from the demand side, where there are signs of stabilization or even decline in some of the main markets.With this Report, the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention describes and explains the extent and development of this complex problem-and the important progress that has been made in recent years towards its amelioration. Illustrated with numerous maps, graphs, charts and tables, the World Drug Report 2000 provides the reader with a unique insight into the realities of the international drug problem and reveals the most complete picture of the extent of the problem. For Orders from North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific: United Nations Publications Room DC2-0853, Dept. 143 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: (800) 253-9646, (212) 963-8302 Fax: (212) 963-3489 E-mail: publications un.org For Orders from Europe, Middle East and Affica: United Nations PublicationsSales Office and BookshopCH-1211, Geneva 10, SwitzerlandTel: 41 (22) 917-2614Fax: 41 (22) 917-0027E-mail: unpubh unog.chUNDCP - World Drug Report 2000 http://www.undcp.org/world_drug_report.html Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by Dan Hillman on January 23, 2001 at 21:27:36 PT Thanks, observer > ``... The Ecstasy Act is the logical outgrowth of a call-to-censorship issued by the UN. In a little-noticed 1997 report, the UN's International Narcotics Control Board urged member nations to criminalize speech that doesn't toe the antidrug line. The report urges countries to punish citizens who use "any type of media" -- including the Net and books -- to challenge drug laws or to incite people to use illicit drugs.Dianne Feinstein and Orrin Hatch signed right up for this gem! Orrin Hatch is, of course, one of the US senators making a "cameo" appearance in the supposedly "anti-war-on-drugs" film *Traffic* (the other is Barbara Boxer of Cal). Hatch, a troglydyte of the religious right teamed up with "liberal dem" Feinstein from No. Cal. to sponser the "Methamphetamine anti-proliferation Act of 2000" which looks like the UN language verbatim. The bill passed, but with the blatantly unconstitutional language taken out. Which means that Feinstein and Hatch will probably try again, especially with Ashcroft egging them on. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by freedom fighter on January 23, 2001 at 15:49:15 PT One of the World largest criminal organisations! Oh I do agree with you, dddd! I remembered Clinton using "international reason" as an excuse why we cannot change the law. If we could figure out how to abolish, dismantle, be rid of this group, we wont have any reason to keep bad laws. Of course, that would mean that other countries will have to stand up! Single Convention Treaty is based on racism. How do the People repel it? I pray that will happen in my lifetime!Oh by the way, I do think their figures are misleading. For example, 144 million cannabis users. Nah, its more like 4 time that amount. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by dddd on January 23, 2001 at 03:09:02 PT largest criminal organization? I dont think the UNDCP is as large as our own sordid gallery of federal government criminal rogues,and Constitution abusing scofflaws.We are world leaders in this category...dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by freedom fighter on January 23, 2001 at 02:56:45 PT World largest criminal organisation UNCDP [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on January 22, 2001 at 18:35:29 PT: Talk about irony In the last decade, much was made in the popular media about groups within American society styling themselves as 'militias'. These militias were supposed to be expecting an attack any minute by Federal forces - and UN troops. Their entire raison d'etre was that there was a vast conspiracy against the citizens of the US by Internationalist forces intent upon shredding American sovereignty. This kind of thinking led to bloody self-fulfilling prophecies at Waco and Ruby Ridge, when the Feds proved to be too stupid to realize they were fanning the flames of paranoia even higher with their antics, playing right into the scenario.Lots of people laughed at their right wing ideologies. But right here, in the UNODCPs own words, are recommendations for something very similar. Destruction of the freedom of the press. Seizure and incarceration of American citizens ... on American soil... by a non-representative, barely democratic, extra-governmental body...for speaking your mind, vocally or electronically. Presumably without any recourse to legal assistance? What's next, the Ministry of Truth? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by military officer guy on January 22, 2001 at 18:18:42 PT say it isn't so... observer,please tell me this is a joke...i honestly don't know what to say when i read something like that...stop the flow of information...that should be a freaking crime, so if everyone doesn't believe what the party line is, that we should be thrown in jail...this is so F$% ed up...MD, warped is an understatement...we can win this war... [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by observer on January 22, 2001 at 15:39:13 PT UN: Calling for Legalization Should Be War Crime 3. The survival of the culture is pictured as being dependent on the prohibition of the drug. ( Themes in Chemical Prohibition, NIDA, 1979 http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/ticp.html )UN: "illicit" drugs are . . . threatening the health of men, women and children, the rule of law, and ultimately, the vitality and strength of all our communities Remember this gem from the UN last July? They're all for "human rights" (?) and "free-speech". Unless, of course the topic is "drugs", because the "drug war" always trumps constitutions, freedom, traditional rights and common sense. ``... The Ecstasy Act is the logical outgrowth of a call-to-censorship issued by the UN. In alittle-noticed 1997 report, the UN's International Narcotics Control Board urged member nations to criminalize speech that doesn't toe the antidrug line. The report urges countries to punish citizens who use "any type of media" -- including the Net and books -- to challenge drug laws or to incite people to use illicit drugs.Despite the UN's reputation for Milquetoast efforts, the Narcotics Control Board shows signs of gearing up to take action. At a New York press conference in June, the board's head, Pino Arlacchi, announced that the group was trying to establish "universal jurisdiction" in order to bust not just the global drug trade but also people who use the Internet to "disseminate information about drugs." The UN's top narc explained, "These views are spreading, and we are now thinking about some instrument to at least stop the expansion of this flow of information."If those in power have their way, publishing information about drugs will be a felony, and running a Web site calling for drug legalization will be a violation of international law, alongside genocide and other war atrocities. ..''Publishers Could Face Prison Terms, July 2000 http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/6/thread6532.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on January 22, 2001 at 15:19:55 PT: This Agency is Warped "Economic reliance on the drug trade, and drug addiction, leaves many individuals open to exploitation by criminals and criminal organisations"They could stop this in a heartbeat by changing the Single Convention Treaty. The violence can end. The crime can end. The exploitation can end. The drug use figures can actually go down along with morbidity and mortality by making drugs legal and regulated. How much more money and wasted lives do they think reasonable to really win the War on Drugs? It is unwinnable at any price. The only rational approach is to change the objectives to something they can achieve: Stopping the War. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: