Professor Sevil Atasoy introduced the main findings of the 2009 INCB Annual report:
Chapter 1: primary prevention of drug abuse:
– Promotes a life-style without drugs: Most drug use occurs during adolescence when development cognitively and socially. Initiatives must promote the health and social development of children in key stages of their lives, and include the involvement of families and parents.
– There needs to be universal and specific strategies: universal, large scale efforts can be effective to raise awareness since no one is immune to drug abuse. On the other hand, there needs to be specific protective conditions to children and youth who are most vulnerable.
– Local, national and international level strategies are crucial to reduce the demand for drugs.
– Partnerships must be forged between government agencies, NGOs and civil society.
– Prescription of drug abuse. The Board is ready to support governments in their efforts to raise awareness and combat the use of prescription drugs.
– The use of drugs is linked to the commission of sexual assault. These substances are used to weaken the resistance of victims. CND Resolution 52/8 was adopted to adopt measures to address the use of substances in the commission of criminal offences.
– Raising public awareness is encouraged by the INCB: It is possible to develop safety measures to prevent these acts. Governments should solicit the support of pharmaceutical companies to facilitate the development of policies to combat these problems.
Chapter 2: 100 years of drug control: The Shanghai Declaration in 2009 renews the global political commitment to reduce both supply and demand reduction. It encourages every State to ratify the UN drug control conventions, submit information on drugs, and ensure data accuracy. States are bound to reduce drug production, distribution and use of drugs to medical and scientific purposes only. These measures appear not to be implemented. States must ensure that national policies and measures do not undermine drug control efforts.
Chapter 3: Analysis of the drug control situation in various regions of the world and the implementation of article 12 of the 1988 Convention: when governments join forces, solutions can be found:
– Project Prism and Project Cohesion are international initiatives that enable governments to exchange data on seizures and arrests for more efficient data collection.
– Online system for the exchange of pre-export notifications (PEN-online) is also an effective tool. The Board encourages member states to use this mechanism.
In 2009, several governments introduced new regulations to control precursors. Despite these actions, there is a threat of diversion of pharmaceutical preparations. Drug trafficking organisations exert enormous amounts of pressure in certain countries. These criminals continue to menace the peace and welfare of our societies. Collective efforts can achieve successful results, and the Board will continue to support these activities.