Former World Leaders Say International War On Drugs Is A Failure On Its Own Terms

The United States and Canada should fully decriminalize the use and possession of drugs rather than double down on a failed drug war, according to a new report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

The report, “Beyond Punishment: From Criminal Justice Responses to Drug Policy Reform,” published December 5, urged countries to implement strategies that focus on “health, human rights, and social equity.” It was authored by over two dozen former presidents, prime ministers and diplomats from around the world.

The report recommended expanding the availability of opioid agonist therapy such as methadone and buprenorphine, syringe service programs, overdose prevention centers, drug checking and naloxone. It also said governments should explore safer supply models, through which people with substance use disorders are offered pharmaceutical alternatives to unregulated drugs, as a means of curbing overdose deaths.

Louise Arbour, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights, who contributed to the report, was unambiguous when asked about the efficacy of the drug war.

“There’s nothing in it that works,” she told Filter. “There are more drugs today that are cheaper and more lethal used by more people in the world than there were 60 years ago when the so-called War on Drugs got launched. So it’s a complete failure on its own terms.”