Roundup: UN special drug session focuses on new drugs, drug access, in addition to drug abuse

The three-day UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs is not limited to fighting the illicit use of drugs, but on Wednesday also confronted the challenges of new synthetic drugs and the lack of pain-killing drugs in some countries.

While the spotlight may be on the 100-plus speakers taking to the large green-marble podium in the assembly hall, there are five official "roundtables" on such topics as on cross-cutting issues, human rights, youth, women, children and communities in scores of other "side-events" taking place in the UN complex along Manhattan's East River.

One such was a discussion "Addressing global disparities in access to controlled substances for medical purposes" highlighting huge gaps existing between countries in access to controlled substances for medical purposes.

Ben Hoie, minister of health and care services of Norway, explained why it is a vital concern to such a developed country.

"We depend on these controlled substances in our palliative care, to alleviate pain and help promote dignity for the individual and their families," he told the meeting in a cavernous basement conference room.

"We depend on these controlled substances to alleviate pain linked to a series of grave illnesses and as part of the healing process."

To that order, Hoie found the two-page reference in the "outcome document" from preparations for the Special Session to reflect the needs of his country and others, "but we would have liked to have stronger language in some areas," particularly to treat mental and neurological illnesses.

Still, he called the present wording of the document "an important step forward."

"Experience from Norway shows that we can provide access without creating dependencies," the minister said, referring to the main theme of most speakers in the assembly hall.

The outcome document, "Our joint commitment to effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem," adopted as a resolution of the session shortly after its opening on Tuesday, ran 24 pages, two of them devoted to "availability of and access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, while preventing their diversion."

"Controlled substances," in the document, referred to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

The document reiterated commitment to improving such access by addressing existing barriers, "including those to legislation, regulatory systems, health-care-systems, affordability, the training of health care professionals, education, awareness-raising ... benchmarks for consumption of substances under control and international cooperation and coordination."

Then the document asked countries to consider reviewing domestic legislation, regulatory and administrative mechanisms and distribution channels "with the aim of simplifying and streamlining those processes and removing unduly restrictive regulations and impediments where they exist to ensure access ... while preventing their diversion."

As for affordability once accessible, the Norwegian health minister pointed out that "when it comes to the controlled substances referred to in the outcome document, the bulk of these are no longer patented and are available at very low cost."

South Korea's health minister, Sohn Mungi, also recognized the problem of access, along with the problem of drug abuse and offered aid to facilitate access.

"Despite the advances and continuing efforts by the United Nations and the international community, we are constantly facing new challenges and threats," he told the assembly.

"For example, illegal drug trade through the internet is prevalent and on the rise. The medical use of narcotics is being abused. And new psychotropic substances, or NPS, are proliferating."

"As for the abuse of the medical narcotics, it is important for us to prevent such abuse, but at the same time, ensure proper use," he said. "To pursue this goal, we have developed a system in Korea, based on IT (information technology) infrastructure, to monitor the medical use of narcotics from beginning to end."

"Such a system successfully tracks the permitted uses from manufacturing to distribution, to prescription," the minister said. "We look forward to sharing our experience and knowledge, as well as providing our technical assistance, in this regard."

While efforts were being made to free-up older drugs for medical and scientific use, a new array of synthetic drugs were posing new problems for those fighting drug abuse.

"One of the biggest concerns is the rapid spread of novel psychoactive substances," said Dario Nakid, Croatia's health minister. "We are obliged to raise awareness about the risk of using these new substances and other drugs, within existing prevention programs."

"The widespread trend of poly-substance use often involves a combination of licit and illicit substances," he said.

Argentine Health Minister Susana Malcorra also raised a warning flag about new illicit drugs.

Argentina stresses "the need of strengthening national capacities to detect, identify and develop specific policies to face the problem of the new psychoactive substances," she said. Endit