3.1 million people arrested globally for drug related offences, in 2023 over 40% of all known executions globally were for drug offenses.

Reassessing the $100 billion spent on drug control – from punishment to public health.

Thursday December 5, 2024 (Geneva, Switzerland) – The Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP) today called for a re-evaluation of the global drug response in its latest report, Beyond Punishment: From Criminal Justice Responses to Drug Policy Reform, in response to the rising drug overdose deaths, increased violence, toxic drug supplies, and strained criminal justice systems.

In 2022, an estimated 292 million people worldwide used illicit substances, a rise from 185 million two decades ago. Cannabis remains the most common drug used and poses fewer health risks than alcohol or tobacco, yet prohibitionist drug policies continue to criminalize millions. Drug prohibition has repeatedly failed to meet its stated objectives of reducing drug consumption and the scale of the drug trade. This failure is hardly surprising — humans have used such substances throughout history, making it clear that a different response is needed.

Punitive drug policies have led to grave human rights violations, including the death penalty and arbitrary detention, while worsening public health and enriching illegal markets. Despite these shortcomings, detention remains one of the predominant global responses to drug offenses.

“The ‘war on drugs’ has led to skyrocketing incarceration rates, rising overdose deaths, and ongoing human rights violations. It’s time for a global shift toward drug policies that respect public health and human rights,” said Helen Clark, Chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and former Prime Minister of New Zealand. “This report presents clear evidence that a harm reduction approach to drug use works. It is a public health necessity, not a moral stance.”

The report comes ahead of significant drug policy developments, including the opening of the first official Overdose Prevention Center (OPC) in Glasgow, Scotland, and the launch of the Scottish Charter of Rights of People Affected by Substance Use on December 11. These initiatives represent a forward-thinking approach to drug policy focused on protection rather than punishment.

In contrast, Ontario, Canada is moving in the opposite direction with legislation tabled to close half of its Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs), potentially reversing years of harm reduction progress. Governments spend an estimated 100 billion USD annually on ineffective and
harmful punitive drug policies, which criminalize rather than address the root causes of drug use. These policies further marginalize individuals and make it harder for them to access necessary support. The report stresses the urgent need to safeguard harm reduction efforts amidst shifting political and legislative landscapes.

Louise Arbour, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, stressed, “As the U.S. administration embarks on its new term, harm reduction measures must be reinforced to address the opioid crisis. Canada must uphold not regress on its commitment to harm reduction policies, which have been pivotal in reducing overdose deaths and supporting marginalized communities”. Setbacks in Ontario and British Columbia, alongside uncertainties in the U.S., underscore the challenges of sustaining progressive, evidence-based drug policies.

Latin America continues to face the harmful consequences of punitive drug laws. However, countries like Uruguay and Colombia have led in decriminalization and harm reduction. Diego García-Sayán, former Foreign Affairs Minister of Peru and member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, emphasized the global lessons for the region, stating, “Countries like Portugal and Spain have demonstrated that decriminalization and harm reduction strategies can significantly reduce HIV, Hepatitis C, and overdose deaths. Latin America must now take bold action”.

In 2011, when the Global Commission on Drug Policy first called for the legal regulation of drugs for non-medical adult use, no jurisdictions had taken that step. Today, twenty-four US states and Washington D.C., and countries like Uruguay, Canada, Thailand, Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany have legalized cannabis, regulating its production, sale, and consumption. Other jurisdictions have decriminalised personal use and possession of cannabis and growing of small amounts.

The report advocates for equity-driven reforms, emphasizing the importance of regulation to manage unregulated markets. While some progress has been made, reforms remain fragmented and rooted in punitive approaches. Drug prohibition disproportionately harms marginalized communities, with law enforcement targeting disadvantaged areas and racial minorities. These laws often serve as tools of social control.

Decriminalization and regulation improve health and social outcomes without increasing drug use. As of 2024, 39 countries have decriminalized drug use, with notable improvements in health for people who use drugs. However, public drug use is stigmatized, fueling backlash against reforms – particularly for homeless individuals – while public consumption for legal substances like alcohol and tobacco is widely accepted.

“Asia must prioritize harm reduction and adopt the principles of decriminalization to prevent further harm to people who use drugs,” said report co-author Anand Grover, former UN Special Rapporteur on Health and a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. The report condemns the widespread use of compulsory drug treatment centers, which often violate fundamental human rights, and the alarming rise in the use of the death penalty and corporal punishment for drug offenses. These practices disproportionately impact marginalized groups, including migrants and foreign nationals, calling for a shift toward evidence-based, rights-respecting policies in Asia.

Key findings from the report include:

• Over a million overdose-related deaths have occurred in the U.S. over the last two decades, with over 40,000 deaths in Canada over the past eight years. These fatalities, alongside the growing number of bloodborne virus infections in many regions of the world, demonstrate the direct failures of current policies which prioritize punishment over health and harm reduction.
• Approximately 3.1 million people were arrested globally for drug-related offences, In 2020, primarily for simple possession. In 2023, about 11.5 million individuals were imprisoned worldwide, with 20 per cent of the prison population incarcerated for drug offences, which underscores the focus on low-level criminalization.
• In 2022, harm reduction funding in low- and middle-income countries was only six per cent of the estimated need.

Helen Clark added, “We must redirect funds from the current law enforcement paradigm to harm reduction programmes that save lives, improve public health, and reduce the burden on justice systems”.

Recommendations

The report calls for urgent global drug policy reform, focusing on health, human rights, and social equity. It advocates for the decriminalization of drug use and the expansion of harm reduction strategies.

Key recommendations include: urging the UN to promote laws that uphold the health and human rights of people who use drugs; operationalizing harm reduction measures such as Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT), Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs), naloxone, drug checking, and Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs) to save lives and enhance public health; calling on governments to fully decriminalize drug use, possession, cultivation, acquisition, and paraphernalia, while exploring safer supply models and providing regulated, safer options to reduce overdose deaths.