A Drug-Free Europe - Scientology News in Europe

Around 200 million people have used drugs at some point in the last 12 months. This was one of the findings presented June 29 in the 2005 World Drug Report, issued by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The value of the global illicit drug market for 2003 was estimated at $13 billion at the production level, $94 billion at the wholesale level, and $322 billion at the retail level. “Drug revenues account for 0.9% of the global gross domestic product,” explained the UNODC executive director, Antonio Costa, during the report’s presentation in Stockholm.

The report calculated that in 2003 the sale of illicit drugs, measured at wholesale prices, was equivalent to 12% of the value of the global export of chemicals and 14% of world agricultural exports.

With such statistics it is clear that if we are going to make a difference, we must handle the drug problem with effective drug education and drug rehabilitation.

One group in the forefront of creating a drug-free Europe is European Cities Against Drugs, a Swedish-based organizations with 245 signatory municipalities in 27 countries.

As stated in their mission purpose:

“Europe has become a centre for drug trafficking, distribution and consumption of drugs. The spread of drugs is the result of a shattered and resigned and often reactionary policy. Millions of Europeans are affected directly by this policy as drug addicts, parents, relatives or victims of crimes. Drugs claim many victims and cause rejection and suffering.

“There can be no other goal than a drug-free Europe. Such a goal is neither utopian, nor impossible.”

The work this group is doing should serve as an example to others that something can be done about the drug problem if we work together with common purpose.