GLOBAL DEBATE AND PUBLIC POLICY CHALLENGE ID: XX30189 TO: THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA FROM: UGANDA HARM REDUCTION NETWORK SCENARIO: A TIME FOR UGANDA TO ACT REASONABLY ON DRUG POLICY What is Uganda Harm Reduction Network? Uganda Harm Reduction Network is a civil society organization established in 2011. Its main focus is to create a safe and secure Ugandan society that recognizes and protects the health, social, economic and human rights of drug users. Besides, it demands that interventions and policies designed to serve drug users reflect specific individual and societal needs. Outlining the Problem The prohibitive and struggle against drug consumption, supply and production in Uganda has been in place for over 50 years. Uganda has continuously punished and detained drug users and traffickers (Uganda Harm Reduction Network Report, 2010). The National Policy on illicit Drugs per now is more retributive than it would be realistically rehabilitative and accommodative. This has driven all drug related activities underground and the country has not produced any suitable and credible results in reducing the trafficking and consumption of illicit drug. Hence, there is need to re-think the strategy and re-evaluate the existing mechanisms. The zero tolerance policy affects the country and the citizens mainly in three ways; 1. Economically, the country is deprived of the taxes that would accrue the government coffers if the drug dealing would be legal but under government regulation. For instance in Uruguay, the main reason given for legalizing the sell and consumption of marijuana is to tap the taxes that went untapped when the activity was done underground which is expected to be at 40 million US dollars per year (Funez, 201... ... middle of paper ... ...trieved on 10th November 2013 at http://Www.Un.Org/En/Documents/Udhr/ The Constitution of the Republic Of Uganda, 1995 Transform Drug Policy Foundation 2007 ‘After The War On Drugs -Tools For The Debate’. Retrieved on 15th Feb 2014 at: http//www.tdpf.org.uk United Nations Millennium Declaration, 2000. Retrieved On 20th January 2014 at: http//Www.Org/Millennium/Declaration/Ares552ehtml Uganda National Drug Policy and Authority Act 2000. Retrieved On 20th January 2014 at: ug.Linkedin.Com/Pub/Uganda-National-Drug-Authority/59/947/8543 United Nations General Assembly Declaration on the Right to Development, 1986. Retrieved On 10 October 2012 at http://Www.Un.Org/Documents/Ga/Res/41/A41r128.Htm US Department Of Narcotics Report 2012. Retrieved on 30th July 2013 at http://Www.Chimpreports.Com/Index.Php/News/4309-Us-Warns-Drug-Trafficking-Escalating-In-Uganda.Html
A “drug-free society” has never existed, and probably will never exist, regardless of the many drug laws in place. Over the past 100 years, the government has made numerous efforts to control access to certain drugs that are too dangerous or too likely to produce dependence. Many refer to the development of drug laws as a “war on drugs,” because of the vast growth of expenditures and wide range of drugs now controlled. The concept of a “war on drugs” reflects the perspective that some drugs are evil and war must be conducted against the substances
In Australia the Government uses three methods to tackle drugs; Demand reduction, supply reduction and harm minimization. Needle and syringe programs are under harm minimization category. Supply reduction is focused on drug dealers and drug makers and is brought about by law enforcement. In the Demand reduction method it is tried to decrease the number of people taking drugs through anti-drug advertisements and campaigns, legislation, rehabilitation centers. On the other hand harm minimization recognizes the fact that drugs can never be eradicated fro...
One specific policy that adheres and follows the harm reduction approach is the Drug Policy Alliance. Their policy is considered to be a harm reduction approach because they acknowledge the fact that “A basic tenet of harm reduction is that there has never been, and will never be, a drug-free society” (Drug Policy Alliance) and have the same aims and objectives as the approach of harm reduction. This policy is more of an intervention than just a basic rehab that only focuses on the use of drug but not the bigger picture – the reason people use the drugs.
FITZPATRICK, Michael (2001). “The Lessons of the Drugs War”, Spiked,. Online at: , consulted on March 30th, 2004.
The drugs issue is a major problem in Australia. A simple solution cannot be found to solve this great problem because there are so many decisions, thoughts and sacrifices that need to be made. All sides of the issue must be considered when making such a large decision. To find a solution, several tests, meetings, interviews and research need to be made, to name a few. Extreme care is needed when challenging such major issues, all aspects of the problem need to be considered.
This policy issue would not exist, were it not for the people affected by drug policy, the drug users. Drug users can encapsulate anything from a heroin addicts, to those who rely on prescribed pharmaceutical drugs for pain. These drug users are all policy actors, who are influenced by policy changes made at a government level. There are a range of reasons why people use drugs, from purely recreational, through to strong mental illness and addiction. However, despite being the ones most affected, and most at risk from drug policy, history has shown that drug users rarely get any real input into drug policy decisions (Hathaway, 2001). Drug users are part of the policy universe, and therefore have a say in the ‘Agenda-setting’ stage of the policy cycle (Howlett, Ramesh, & Perl, 2009). However, drug users could be seen to have less political power on their specific issue than many other groups in society. Because of the taboo, and in some cases criminal, nature of their activities, it becomes much more difficult to form organised interest groups, or even simply to gain p...
Bennett, William J. “Drug Policy and the Intellectuals.” Drug Policy 1989-90, A Guide. Ed. Arnold S Trebach and Kevin B. Zeese. Rpt. In Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 1996. 358-64.
Nadelmann, Ethan. "DRUGS: THINK AGAIN." European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies. Sept.-Oct. 2007. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. .
Although the UK already took a prohibitionist stance towards many psychoactive substances prior to this, for example the Dangerous Drugs Act 1920, the MDA consolidated, much of this earlier legislation, and introduced some important changes, whilst creating a more heavily committed model of prohibition backed by higher law enforcement and punishment (Gossop, 2000). Other than some minor changes that we aim to explore further, this piece of legislation still largely remains the staple of the UK’s approach to substance misuse. The act claims that “It shall be the duty of the Advisory Council to keep under review the situation in the United Kingdom with respect to drugs which are being or appear to them
“Investing in Drug Abuse Treatment/ A Discussion of Policy Makers.” (2003) United Nations Drug Control Program. The Office of Drugs and Crime. United Nations. Web. 1 July 2010.
Wolf, M. (2011, June 4). We should declare an end to our disastrous war on drugs. Financial Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.consortiumlibrary.org/docview/870200965?accountid=14473
UK has a population of around 64 million people, out of which 87.1% are White and 3% are originally from Africa. Especially from the time of the end of the cold war, England faced great problems with drug usage. Beforehand, United Kingdom passed a ‘‘Misuse of Drugs Act’’ in 1971, which classified drugs by Class A, B and C, as well as set rules on possession and supply or intend to supply of the drugs (1). The differences between those classes were the punishments that followed after a certain drug was found as well as the amount of harm one drug can do. Drugs as Cocaine, Heroin, LSD were placed in Class A. Possession of the drug will lead to imprisonment of maximum seven years and/or fine of £5,000 and higher; intent supply or supply of the drug leads to life sentence maximum and/or fine of £5,000 or more. In Class B, there are drugs as Cannabis, Amphetamine, Codeine and possession of those drugs will lead to imprisonment of maximum five years and/or fine of £2,500 and higher; intent supply or supply of the drugs leads to imprisonment for l4 years and/or fine of £5,000 or more. In Class C, there are drugs as Temazepam, Tranquilizers and Valium. Possession of those drugs will lead to imprisonment of maximum two years a...
The current situation of drug control in the United States is imperfect and inadequate. Millions of men and women, both young and old, are affected by illicit drug use. It costs the United States about $6,123 every second because of drug use and its consequences (Office). Moreover, 90 percent of all adults with a substance use disorder started using under the age of 18 and half under the age of 15. Children who first smoke marijuana under the age of 14 are five times more likely to abuse drugs as adults than those who first use marijuana at age 18. Finally, the children of alcoholics are four times more likely to develop problems with alcohol (Prevent). Current legislation that has to do with the United States’ drug control policy is the Controlled Substances Act, which regulates the manufacture, importation, possession, use, and distribution of certain substances (Shannon). In 1966, Congress passed the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act also known as the NARA. This legislati...
The criminal justice system is mainly intended for punishing individuals who cannot live peacefully within society and is an ineffective and blunt system when it is intended to address health issues (Paley, 2014). Efficiency is, not the case however for the United States since the policy on fighting drug abuse have been left to the criminal justice system. A collaborative approach that treats all participants and engages the community with respect is more humane and also more effective. Harsh methods are the reasons these policies are not working and cannot solve the problems of drug abuse.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2009, Annual Report 2009, viewed 2 April 2014, http://www.unodc.org/documents/about-unodc/AR09_LORES.pdf