A 48th Session of UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs had place on March 7-1, 2005 in Vienna. Aleksandr Zelichenko from Kyrgyzstan, International Expert in narco-policy participated on this forum.
CND - Commission on Narcotic Drugs - a senior coordinating organ of United Nations, which, on the political level, issues recommendations on narco-policy and control their implementation. The resolution making process is preceded by the thorough analysis, made by independent experts. The specific procedures of data collection, analysis and synthesis, generated by those experts, regional situation surveys allows to control and foresee the situation development, to disclose the recent trends. To discuss all these, the countries-members call annual meetings.
53 states - members of Commission possess the casting votes and rotated regularly. Other countries have rights to participate in discussion with deliberative vote. Traditionally the annual forum is opened by the Chairman report.
This year his report mainly focused on preventive component, titled as "Public opinion is a powerful social vaccine". Its intensity could be compared with anti-tobacco programs only. The Chairman called synthetic drugs, first of all ecstasy and amphetamines, aggressively expanding on the new markets, "Enemy N 1", especially because those drugs are the first steps towards the drug-addiction. Synthetic drugs can be easily purchased via Internet! I/V drug using, in spite of all taken contra measures, demonstrated insignificant decreasing. The presenter highlighted "the new challenges": further HIV/AIDS spreading (in some countries 4 from every 5 cases of the fatal virus invasion came on the tip of the needle), political upheavals ("heroin" terrorism; "armies" of criminals - drug-addicts), road accidents - in Italy 50% of car-crashes with lethal outcomes caused by psychotropic substances abusers.
According to the report, the year 2005 is characterized by statistics of the illegal opium harvesting stabilization. The presenter illustrated this conclusion with statistical data from hundred years ago: in the period of "Opium Wars", for example, the total world opium illicit production was above 30 thousand tons, in 2004 the illegal harvest was about five thousand tons "only"... International experts were not satisfied with this statistics. Seems that the main point of this data analysis was to confirm the effectiveness of gigantic investments into the poppy-fields eradication, which obviously did not reach the desired goals and expectations. There were calls to support farmers, decided to eradicate opium fields... Most probably, additional funds will be allocated for these goals. Hopefully the officials will consider the past unfortunate experience: in the beginning of our millennium, regardless to the real situation and local mentality, the decision was made to pay farmers enormous amount of money for voluntary opium fields eradication. The Iran government also added one tractor for each 8 hectares of eradicated fields ... The next year, hoping for easy money, farmers expanded opium sown areas dramatically and again demonstrated the burning enthusiasm to eradicate ...
Afghanistan delegation joined the "cheerful tone" of discussion. Afghan Minister of Interior told about the complex measures and actions, taken against narcomania. By the way, drug-abusing already formed a serious problem for Afghanistan itself: more than seven thousand heroin-abusers registered in Kabul only! The special task forces for opium crops eradication formed in the Afghan Ministry of Interior, appointed the Deputy Minister, responsible for anti-drugs activity. Started in year 2002, the process of opium fields eradication considerably expanded: 10 metric tons of raw opium burned, 20 illicit heroin labs and two opium markets destroyed. International organization and experts provide training for staff, involved in anti-drug activity; last December president Karzay proclaimed "Jihad" against drugs...
But the "triumphant reports" did not convince listeners. All next presenters stressed their concern about current situation with Afghan opium and heroin production. They recognized the positive political will demonstrated by president Karzay, but stressed minimal, if any, progress in regions, the real narco-aggresion from Afghanistan all over the world, stressed that growing narco-production forms the direct threats for young Afghan democracy. Representatives of Bolivia, basing on the past negative experience of cocaine production in their country, concluded: "drugs undermine pillars of national security" and called government to take responsibility for the current developments.
Representative of Iran told about severe combat in his country. During few last years they liquidated more than 25 000 (!) criminal groups of narco-traffickers, seized 20 000 units of arms. Police forces lost fifteen thousand people killed and wounded in armed clashes (almost a division!), 5 000 hostages released... In 2004 heroin confiscations raised in 47%, comparing with previous year. The domestic drugs harvesting is totally eradicated: traditionally opium-sowing areas of the country are under the close control and regular satellite monitoring! Thus, all seized drugs had been illegally transported from Afghanistan... On the panel sessions Iran experts told about their adherence to the practice of harm reduction: syringes exchange, methadone programs. About 60 % of HIV-infected in Iran are I/V drug-users. The special studies proved, that the situation considerably improves if drug-users can get 7 sterile syringes a week - one syringe per day. Iran experience can have a very high value for countries with traditional Muslim mentality. In Pakistan, for example, 180 000 I/V drug-users officially registered, one from every four - HIV-infected...
Representatives of Azerbaijan informed listeners about recent confiscation of 500 tons of elite opium seeds, transported from Afghanistan to Turkey via their territory. They also stated that 132 km of the state border are out of the control because of Karabakh armed conflict and this territory actively involved in narco-transit. 20% of uncontrolled country territory, according to Azerbaijan representatives, involved into the illicit drugs production. These conclusions can be confirmed by the passed through the court criminal cases and above 100 kg of confiscated drugs.
India and Turkey - legal producers of opium for scientific and medical purposes informed about their adherence to the idea of the "delicate balance" and stated that this balance is very vulnerable and easily destroyed by using drugs, withdrawn from the illicit turnover, in pharmacological industry. These states representatives in their turn assured the auditory that their countries take strong control measures in opium-sowing areas, including monitoring from the air.
Representative of Bulgaria - the main transit country of "Made in Afghanistan" opium transporting via regrettably well-known Balkan route - reported that the "Silk route" of Afghan drugs transporting through Central Asian countries rapidly intensifies. Italians informed about 26 tons of seized in year 2004 illicit drugs, from this two and half tons - heroin. In year 2000 in Italy started "De Colla" anti-drugs operation, lasted four years. As the result of thorough investigation 110 "large-caliber" narco-dealers had been arrested in Italy, 46 - in Columbia and Netherlands. "But methods of law-enforcement actions and prohibitions able to give a temporary relief only. In long-term the preventive programs are most promising. In schools, in families we do all our best to introduce cultural standards of passive disapprovement of drug-abusing. We consider to be right and very important not to limit this activity with sterile needles and "replacement" substances distribution, but to provide the drug-users with access to the high quality medical care"...
Delegation of Russian Federation distributed materials on threats of narco-aggression for international and national security. The transnational crime and international terrorism highlighted as major threats on international level. The rising level of corruption forms the threats in governmental control sphere; in the economic administration - it is disassociation of common economic area and loss of economic security. In social sphere narcotism leads to increased morbidity and mortality, social stratification and demographic decline. Drugs, taken as specific subculture, constitute the potential threats for informational sphere also. It is necessary to mention that 90% of hard drugs in the current illicit turnover had been transported from abroad. Russia takes adequate contra-measures against these threats: during the last five years more than one million criminal cases, linked to illicit drugs, had been investigated. About half from those - crimes of violence or grave crimes. 129 tons 731 kg of narcotic substances had been withdrawn from the illicit turnover in 2004.
Kazakhstan delegation reported about 20 tons 364 kg of seized drugs. In last year the record-breaking number of narco-crimes had been disclosed in Kazakhstan - 9747. The State Drugs Control Committee established and successfully works in the country.
A special session was intended to discuss problems of drug-abusing treatment and prevention, HIV-infection prevention among I/V drug-users, "Harm Reduction" strategy discussion, demand and supply reduction.
"According to the latest studies, drug-abusing is a brain disease" - stated the Chief of Drugs Control Department of Wight House. This conclusion means that drug abusing is preventable. Today the leading research centers in United States work on this problem. Besides the outstanding on-going investments into anti-drugs law-enforcement activity, US allocate annually 3.5 billion dollars for drugs-related studies and medical care and 2 billion dollars for prevention of substances abusing. The same activity is additionally funded against states and cities budgets. For example, in New York, besides of the syringes exchange program, aimed for AIDS epidemic prevention, city administration supports methadone programs - replacement of heroin with less heavy and addictive free drug in order to decriminalize heroin abusers. This package of complex measures allowed decreasing number of drug-abusers among teenagers and young people in 600000 cases in 2005.
Representatives of Japan announced policy of "zero level of tolerance", and informed listeners about the youth movement "No! Completely not!". Japan did not introduce syringes exchange programs, although they know about I/V spreading of HIV-infection not by hearsay unfortunately. In contrast, all countries - members of European Community actively supported "Harm Reduction" and stated that syringes exchange and replacement therapy are the most effective measures to restrict AIDS spreading. They called other countries to stop waiting and not to copy their mistakes, but to learn from their experience and start to implement it.
In the mid of 80-th a real epidemics of HIV/AIDS broke out in France; about 40% of I/V drugs users had been infected. Since 1986 they started to introduce the "Harm Reduction" programs; as a result, today only 2% of newly infected drug - abusers registered all over the country. The drugs users are not stigmatized as criminals or "social leprous" any more; the harm reduction strategy reached the level of national policy. AIDS epidemics forced Germany to revise and change their narco-policy. The syringes exchange program had been widely implemented in the country; today only 3-4% of I/V drug-abusers are infected. Germany allocate for Global Fund against AIDS, TB and Malaria 300 million euro annually. Keeping in mind that drug-abusers spread the fatal virus with blood, using the same dirty syringe in circle, Croatia in 1998 started syringes exchange and free distribution of sterile syringes and needles. As a result, only 13% of HIV/AIDS cases come from the tip of the needle. To compare with situation in CIS-countries, just started or still discussing the similar programs: over 80% of all registered HIV/AIDS-infected are I/V drugs users. If these countries will keep crowding infected drug-abusers in jails, the epidemics will turn into pandemic. Before 1999 the highest incidence rate of HIV-infection was in Spain. Since that time they distribute free syringes, needles and condoms everywhere, including prisons. This resulted in decline of I/V infection spreading in penitentiary facilities from 80 to 14%. Needles and syringes exchange and free disinfectants is in practice in penitentiary facilities of Kyrgyzstan; and author of this article, as international expert in narco-policy, propagandized this experience on UN forum.
According to the World Health Organization today about 40 million citizens of 130 countries infected with HIV or suffer from AIDS. 4 000 000 from them had been infected through dirty needle...