New York: Music Festival Introduces New Anti-Drug-Overdose Tactics: *UPDATED

People who want to attend the annual Electric Zoo music festival in New York must first watch an anti-drug PSA, after two people died last year at the festival from drug overdoses.

Go To Link To View This Video: 

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/anti-overdose-tactics-nyc-music-003511484.html 

www.drugfreeworld.org & www.drugscope.org.uk & www.drugs.ie & www.spunout.ie 

*Every year on June 26, countries commemorate the International Anti-drug Day with a slogan determined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC.
www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/ucd-could-go-smokefree-after-ban-on-cigarette-sales-30548272.html
On this day different countries express their present challenges in the field of narcotics, measures taken and the solutions for resolving this problem. This day is a universal symbol which reminds the consequences of cultivation, trafficking and consumption of drugs and requires governments' firm resolve for an all-out campaign against this grave social problem. We have prepared a special article on this occasion as follows:

Over the past 25 years we have witnessed international anti-drug conferences at the UNODC headquarters and other countries to further reveal the importance of the nations' political determination in struggling against the destructive phenomenon, that is, narcotics. In this regard, programs like prevention of addiction, media's role in returning addicts to normal life, eradicating illegal puppet cultivation, destruction of the main drug trafficking networks, legal cooperation of countries in fighting against addiction and drug are reminded to different countries involved in addiction and drug trafficking. But unfortunately the world is witness to individuals' inclination to addiction; and the havocs and ruins created by drug abuse pave the way for the collapse of many cultural and ethical values.

Based on the estimates declared by the UN, presently there are over 200 million addicts who consume different types of narcotics including opium, heroin, marijuana and so on. What is more worrying is the decrease in the age of drug consumers, its spread among the youth and teenagers and the ever-increasing tendency towards consuming industrial drugs. Figures show that the average consumption of these substances has increased in different countries and the drug mafia networks have aimed at producing new drug combinations. Every day we witness production of a new combination of narcotics with volatile chemicals entering market under false names as hallucinatory drugs.

Some of these hallucinatory drugs are much more dangerous than the traditional drugs and they cause grave problems; hence making the treatment much more difficult. The drugs mafias embark on distributing these substances claiming that they are not addictive in a bid to increase the number of consumers.

Statistics indicate that annually drug abuse in the world claims the life of 250,000 people. This calamitous phenomenon, in addition to grave economic consequences, has greatly imperiled the psychological health of societies.

It is obvious that an increase in the number of addicts brings the highest profits for the drug mafias. So as long as the colossal profits of this black trading exist, we will face an ever-increasing supply of drugs and great efforts to increase the number of consumers. Experts believe that the profits of the drug trading stand at 500 to 700 billion dollars per annum and that a majority of this dirty money finds its way to stock market and then it is used as legal money by the drug trading mafia. According to social analysts, in addition to being a very lucrative trade, this phenomenon is an effective tool for spreading the domination of world powers over poor and so-called under-developed countries. The situation of Afghanistan confirms this claim.

Years of civil war, presence of foreign forces, economic problems and activity of death merchants in Afghanistan have turned the country into one of the main centers of producing illicit drugs in the world. Evidence shows that during the past 10 years with the occupation of Afghanistan by the US and NATO forces, cultivation of narcotics has multiplied at least 40 times. Based on the UN reports, now the scale of opium production in Afghanistan makes over 90 percent of the world opium supply. In addition to production of opium, annually about 700 tons of heroin is also produced in Afghanistan and this country has turned into one of the greatest producers of hashish in the world. It is noteworthy that such an immense amount of production of illicit drugs in Afghanistan is carried out under circumstances that thousands of NATO and foreign forces are stationed in the country with one of their main missions to be the eradication of illicit drugs in Afghanistan.

Evidence indicates that the drug traffickers and mafias are coherently active in an area expanded from Afghanistan to the markets of illicit drugs in Europe.

Many pundits are of the opinion that the revenues obtained from opium trafficking in Afghanistan are over 200 billion dollars. According to the statistics released by the World Bank, this sum is more than the annual income of Afghanistan's neighboring countries excluding China and Iran.  

Islamic Republic of Iran with 945 kilometer border with Afghanistan, including 709 kilometer land border and 236 kilometer water border, is the largest and closest neighbor to the country and due to this vast common border line is more than any other country exposed to the harms and hazards of narcotics.

Over the past 30 years, Iran has always tried to block the new routes and corridors of drug trafficking and transit without any expectation. The Islamic Republic of Iran has taken steps not only for preventing entrance of drug into the country but has also made efforts to completely close the eastern borders with Afghanistan to halt the transit of these lethal substances into European countries; and that has led to the martyrdom of thousands of security forces and police personnel.

The Islamic Republic has practically proved that it is a very serious pioneer in anti-drug campaign in the world. Iran has been appreciated several times by the UN officials including the UN secretary generals for its campaigns. The UNODC executive manager Yuri Fedotov at Vienna meeting stressed that Tehran is the UN number one partner in anti-drug campaign.

Expressing that Iran has carried out numerous activities to prevent drug trading; Fedotov reiterated that Iran ranks first in discovering drugs at the world level.

To conclude the programme we present part of Iran's extensive programs in commemorating the anniversary of the international anti-drug day in this year. By holding various conferences and speeches in relation with drugs abuse and its harmful consequences, people's awareness is improved on preventing drug addiction.

While presenting a comprehensive report on the measures taken by Iran in anti-drug campaign, those involved in this sacred campaign will be appreciated. Among other programs of the international anti-drug day is to hold exhibition on anti-drug campaign. The 10-day exhibition will be attended by all organizations affiliated to anti-drug campaign like health ministry, education ministry, welfare organization, security forces and non-governmental organizations and they will display their performances.

It is to be noted that every year on the anniversary of the international anti-drug day, in addition to explaining Iran's achievements in this domain, a huge volume of the discovered drugs are burnt as a symbol of serious campaign against drug symbolizing full annihilation of drugs in the world in the near future. Undoubtedly, struggling against illicit drugs smuggling and addiction needs collective action by international community, free from commercial profiteering. If all countries embark on the campaign together victory is certain.