Table of Contents
This essay will not confirm or deny its concern to the use of drugs by anyone who wishes to do so; However, it will endeavour in elaborate an argument that compares different alternatives, which could possibly introduce a more fruitful way to deal with the violation of human rights of individuals, arising from drugs influence; thus highlighting some well-known disadvantages, currently present in the efforts so far made to tackle the so called destruction of society by the existing ‘evil’ living behind the veil of drugs, considering that the current status quo has given way to the ‘evil’ to cause more ‘evil’, exemplified in violent crimes, amongst discrimination, forced labour, and most important of all concerns, is the one that leads to the death of great amount of innocent people.
It has already been over one hundred years, since the first necessary steps were taken in order to eradicate drugs proliferation, and its derivative, through the cooperation of various Countries, in stamping out the illegal operation on distribution and consume of Opium.
Therefore initiating what seems to be an endless process, which perhaps due to the singular ‘status quo’, based on a ‘apologetic’ system, has consequently cause immense detriment to human rights, due to a variety of violation non directed to drugs itself but to punishment of under privileged part of society.
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Initially, a great number of legal instruments were brought forward in short period of time, in common agreement by various nations; hence the creation of numerous treaties all the way from the treaty of Siam 1833, being it, the first acknowledge treaty against opium as a contraband product, follow by few others, as the global concern related to the consequence of drugs distribution and use of it, had escalated .
It seemed that most of the initial treaties aimed to eradicate narcotic, had been direct to one element of concern, which at the time had been Opium; and the punishment for the violation of these legal instruments, had been directed to States, as all sanctions applied for any violation would be on the Country’s detriment.
However, after a certain period, perhaps due to the lack of excuses for their failures to contain the spreading of drugs, as it had proved to be a great financial source for various States illegal activities, leading countries like China, that although delegating strongly against the consumption of heroine for its’ own citizens, had developed itself into a major exporter of drug, like heroine, in order to finance it communist ideology in japan. And so, after over 100 years since the Treat of Siam 1833, when legal chasing on drugs through a treaty began, States decided to shift the imposition of the above mentioned sanctions, which had been directed to their own punishment, to the punishment of citizens, through the new Geneva convention of 1936, which criminalized anyone’s involvement with drugs activities.
Being it, as it has been proved throughout the times, very detrimental to various classes of society in relation to violation of human rights, as the ‘Evil’ hiding behind the veil of drugs, characterized by The 1961 convention on Narcotic Drugs, has strengthen itself in contemporary times, generating enough wealth to manipulate through corruption, institutions that are willing to look the other way, rather them accepting that the current status quo, fighting against the ‘Evil’, has been a failure since its implementation, and a new one should have been considered a long time ago, for the improvement of human rights in general.
Drugs and Economy
The Drug’s business has introduced, although highly detrimental to many levels of human rights, exactly what many governments in various States would aim to achieve for the prosperity of its population, which is development of employment and financial boost. Research has acknowledged that the trade of illicit drugs generated around 1% of the world’s GDP.
Its correlated activities walk through four initial steps; being it cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale, hence creating an immense number of jobs. However, through each of these elements there has been huge social problems, characterized as the result of ‘Evil’s’ action . And as reported through official organization such as United Nations international Narcotics board, most of this social problem occurs to the long-term detriment of many third world countries.
In most of these countries, industry of drugs manufacturing has been based on cultivation, where farmers provide jobs to underprivileged communities, under the social umbrella characterized as ’modern slavery’, as local communities are forced to work long hours, perhaps under duress, for very little money; Being it very often ignored by local governments, due to the fact that, the process of drug business in some countries has become a valuable source of improvement for the local economy.
The economic improvement view is not something of contemporary times, since the cultivation of product related to drugs in some countries are not necessary to blame for its use on drugs production. And as referred to by the Peruvian delegation at the United Nation in 1964 conference, referring to the ‘COCA BUSH’, that “his country had received a gift from Nature that both good and bad”, considering that ‘coca leaves’ can be used for the manufacturing of medicine for pain relief.
References
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- The Lancet: Drug use and harm reduction
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
- American Journal of Public Health: The Drug War as Race War
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States
- Cato Institute: Drug War Statistics and Facts
- Pew Research Center: Key Facts about the War on Drugs
- Gallup: Support for Legal Marijuana Use Continues to Climb
