United Nations Failure to Control Illegal Drugs

Caitlin Walter
August 17, 2006
Sociology 202
Current Event #1

United Nations Failure to Control Illegal Drugs

Drug use is not only a problem in the United States. It is a problem all over the world. And it is places all over the world that are supplying the growing demand for these substances – not just one place.
The UN has sought to encourage farmers of illegal substances in numerous countries to substitute their illegal crops for legal ones. It is not going well. Focuses have been made in Asia and Latin America, particularly concerning the drugs opium and the coca plant which is used to make cocaine and crack. Afghanistan was the source of 87% of the global production of opium in 2005 and almost all of the heroin that got into Europe’s hands. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) also made reports that there was an increase in production of heroin in some African countries, such as Kenya, Mauritius, and Tanzania. Drug abuse by injection is pushing the HIV/AIDS infection rate up and up, especially in India and Nepal. Central America is particularly high in its vulnerability for transporting illegal drugs due to many social problems such as poverty, unemployment, and more.
I can’t help but think that a great majority of the crime in our world, and especially in our country, is due to the continuous rising use of drugs. My father lives in Charlotte and I hear practically everyday on the news about some place there getting robbed, someone getting shot, or a drive-by shooting happening. I think the usage of drugs is behind a lot of it. Maybe a drug deal went bad, so the person who didn’t pay up was shot. People are so strung out on things like crack, they will do practically anything to get money for it…like rob a bank or a convenience store. I even knew someone who had an uncle who had a crack problem and he stole from his family and sold their things to pawn shops so he could have the money to buy crack. How crazy is that? And you tend to see a lot of it in poor areas. As I stated above in my recap of the article, they said that parts of Central America were especially vulnerable to drug trafficking because of their poor conditions. People in those areas don’t have great paying jobs (if a job at all), so it’s probably hard for them to make ends meet. Then they get so stressed out, they look for an escape and unfortunately, a lot of times that’s a drug. Then they get caught up in that cycle of the addiction and the need to “get away” and it keeps them in that condition they’re living in. They blow money on cocaine or crack instead of paying their bills and then they get behind even more. Some of them get caught up in selling as well as using. It’s just a vicious cycle. Then to make things worse, kids are brought up around that and are influenced into thinking that it’s ok or acceptable. And when people and youth as well need money to get their fix, they resort to crime and violence.

"Programs to Replace Drug Crops Not Effective Enough: UN Report." Xinhua General News Service. 1 Mar. 2006. Xinhua News Agency. 17 Aug. 2006 .