International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2021: Theme, History and Significance

Every year on the date of June 26, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed around the world. Better Knowledge for Better Care, the theme for the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2020, demonstrated the need to enhance understanding of the global drug problem and how higher awareness largely supports international cooperation in combating its effect on health, governance, and safety.

The day is devoted to eliminating drug misuse and addressing the structural causes that fuel the illegal drug trade.

Theme

Share Drug Facts to Save Lives is the theme of the 2021 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking aimed to combat misinformation and encourage the exchange of drug facts. From health hazards to solutions to the global drug problem, to evidence-based prevention, rehabilitation, and aftercare.

The campaign presents significant facts and data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s annual World Drug Report. Thus, presenting facts and practical answers to the current global drug crisis in order to achieve a scientific vision of health for all.

Significance

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is utilised to instil a feeling of responsibility in individuals all around the world, particularly children and teens. All around the globe, events are held in schools, colleges, workplaces, and public areas to raise awareness of the overall issue, as well as the risks of drugs and their usage.

The United Nations, through its anti-drug misuse arm, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), raises awareness, advises authorities to avoid fuelling the Narcotics industry, and combats drug trafficking under the cover of legal medicinal enterprises

History

In December 1987, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed June 26 as International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The day also marks Lin Zexu’s attempts to strategically dismantle the opium trade in Humen, Guangdong, China, just before the First Opium War on the Chinese Mainland.

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