Roundup: UN General Assembly highlights impact of illegal drug use in world

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday opened a three-day special session on drugs policy, as the use of illicit drugs has caused increased concern.

At the UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs, states will review progress and discuss the fight against illicit drugs and the need for global cooperation.

"Drug abuse causes tragic and terrible human costs to users and, not least, to their families and to their communities," said UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson before the opening session. "It kills and injures millions of people. It is linked to the spread of HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis."

"It is vital that we engage at the highest level to provide care and treatment to those affected," he said.

Yury Fedotov, executive director of the UN Office for Drugs and Crime, noted that the global drug policies must put people first.

"Putting people first means reaffirming the cornerstone principles of the global drug control system, and the emphasis on the health and welfare of humankind that is the founding purpose of the international drug conventions," he said.

In addition to a general debate, representatives of 128 UN member states -- including 28 heads of state and government and ministers -- international organizations, civil societies and other stakeholders are to exchange views and information in speeches and in five roundtable events, officials said.

States then will have the opportunity to commit to effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem, recommending operational measures to be taken for the health, safety and well-being of all humanity, they said.

Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said the health and social harm caused by the illicit use of psychoactive drugs is enormous.

She listed physical and mental health damage which contributes to crime against people and property, and to traffic and domestic injuries, child abuse, rape and other forms of violence.

"Worldwide, an estimated 27 million people have drug use disorders," Chan said. "More than 400,000 of these people die each year. Injection drug use accounts for an estimated 30 percent of new HIV infections outside sub-Saharan Africa. Injection drug use contributes significantly to epidemics of hepatitis B and C in all regions of the world."

Around 10 million people who inject drugs are infected with hepatitis C, which is very expensive to be treated, even for the richest countries in the world, she said. Endi