International Drug Policy Why are we losing the war & policy recommendations Nilofer Khan Habibullah International Federation of Medical Students Associations

Facts and Figures - Incarceration has the greatest deleterious impact on youth, their professional prospects (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2010) -Caribbean is a strategic transit zone, a hot spot accounting for an estimated 25-30% of cocaine reaching Europe (IFS, 2012). -Deteriorating economies capitalizes on this trade with pervasive drug- fuelled corruption.(Evaluation of Progress in Drug Control Report, 2010). No national monitoring frameworks and initiatives exist in most countries in the Caribbean to foster social empowerment and human rights protection of drug users (Evaluation of Progress in Drug Control Report for St. Lucia, 2010).

Policy Recommendations Governance and Legal Protection: Creation of a National Drug Court. First drug offence should not be treated as habitual use. Use counseling to establish and address cause of drug use. Rehabilitative centers for drug users should be far and removed from hardened criminal prison shelters to limit initiation of criminal contact. Interdiction of crack cocaine produce should be intensified.

Policy Recommendation # 2 Balanced Power and Social Frameworks Create a national watchdog to centralize surveillance, protection and promotion of equality, human rights, and social justice for drug users to remove marginalization. Establish national frameworks to offer socio-economic and human rights protection of drug users as a key affected population, especially youth. Establish training centers to provide vocational training for gainful self-employment. Foster engagement with local community-led initiatives to promote social integration. Eliminate disenfranchisement and alienation.

Policy Recommendation # 3 Strengthening Institutional and Care Provider Capacity: Develop programs to capacity-build our institutions and care providers on innovative rehabilitation and counseling models. Create a national all-media and all-schools focused educational campaign to educate our youth. Create a national Research Agency to study epidemiological, clinical, psychological, and pharmacologic aspects of all illicit drugs and substances, and conduct policy study of countries.

Bottomline A long-term sustainable solution lies in an integrated focus on policies that eliminate punitive sanctions and place rehabilitation, demand-reduction, with social and human rights protection. To ensure practical application, this should be founded on three cornerstones of governance and legal reform (Frenk, 2013), building balanced power and social frameworks, and strengthening institutional and Join us in keeping that promise.

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