Dear Youth Assembly Delegates,

Yesterday, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, sent a message to the member states on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Ten years ago, the member states of the United Nations got together to act against the problems caused by drug abuse and illegal trafficking around the world. The member states committed themselves to becoming proactive in reducing both the supply and demand for drugs.

“Today, drugs continue to destroy lives, generate crime and threaten sustainable development. But we also have a better understanding of how to confront drug abuse and trafficking. Policymakers can draw on a growing body of evidence about drug dependence and drug-use trends. International cooperation and technical assistance are improving law enforcement capabilities. Increased development assistance is helping to reduce poverty and the sale of illicit crops by giving farmers sustainable alternatives. A stronger focus on prevention and treatment is putting health at the centre of drug-control strategies and helping to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS. And there is a growing consensus, both within communities and among states, that drug control is a shared responsibility in which we all play a part,” wrote Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Obviously, drug abuse is a serious threat to the Millennium Development Goals. Drug abuse promotes violence, illness, corruption and instability, the exact opposite of what we’re trying to achieve.

Let’s do what is in our power to rid our world from the awful consequences of drug abuse and illicit trafficking. Let’s listen and act upon the Secretary General’s call to “prevent and reduce the damage that drugs do, and thereby build a healthier and safer world.”