Illicit drugs destroy innumerable individual lives and undermine our societies. Confronting the illicit trade in drugs and its effects remains a major challenge for the international community. Although the consumption of drugs has been a fact of life for centuries, addiction has mushroomed over the last five decades. It now demands a determined and international response.
In the past, attention focussed principally on the product -the illicit drugs themselves. Discussion largely concentrated on how to stop drugs from crossing borders, how to halt their production and how to limit or prosecute their consumption. These are important aspects, but not the whole picture. In recent years, the focus has become more balanced, with a shift in emphasis towards the individual, the ultimate victim of this global malady.