Past, Present, Future: Battling Drug Abuse

VIENNA, AUSTRIA — At the UN Office of Drugs and Crime Committee meeting, more than 70 international delegates are tasked with a global crisis: drug abuse.

Drug abuse became a prominent issue in the 1960’s. Since then, the international community has recognized the need to address the psychological addiction of the youth to drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine.

As the delegates proposed solutions for dealing with the exposure of drugs, education was the leading force for possible solutions.

Several delegations like Colombia, India and Germany mentioned educational programs are vital to hindering the progress of the malevolent influence that drugs have on the youth.

The delegation of Peru says that “prevention is key” and that when it comes to education “both parents and children must be educated not simply just the children.”

On the other hand, the delegation of Benin says that, “we must focus on the sources, drug cartels, rings, trafficking, along with awareness and education.”

As the moderated caucus continued, delegates like China and Germany brought to the floor multifaceted solutions like the TEAM Plan and the 6 Tier Plan, respectively.

The TEAM Plan deals with not only educational solutions to drug abuse, but plans to introduce medical, psychological, and musical therapy to combat the rising trend of drug addiction.

Conversely, Germany’s 6 Tier Plan focuses on morphing the home and school environment in order to decrease the accessibility of drugs and its dominating influence in domestic and external spheres.

So far, UNODC has been working assiduously to conquer a grueling drug crisis that has been an important matter of the past, the present, and that will change the course of the future.