In this feature, part of a series exploring trafficking in the Sahel, UN News focuses on the illicit drug trade. According to a new report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), drug trafficking in the Sahel continues to hinder security, economic development and the rule of law while jeopardising public health. “Drug trafficking is…
The virus is still circulating globally but relatively few countries are following infections closely, meaning the actual threat due to the coronavirus and its variants could be anything from two to 19 times higher than what is being reported to WHO. The agency’s COVID focal point, Dr Maria Van Kerhove, told journalists in Geneva that…
The Thai authorities are working alongside UN agencies to not just improve the availability of services following the change in the way people are sentenced for drugs crimes, but also reduce the stigmatization of people who use drugs and ensure they have access to services where they feel comfortable. UN News spoke with the UNAIDS Country…
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Interior has blocked more than 2,800 drug-promoting social media accounts in the past three years. The Ministry of Home Affairs, along with law enforcement agencies and social media companies, monitored online platforms to identify accounts involved in the sale and purchase of banned goods. Brigadier Saeed Al Suwaidi,…
“I first started taking drugs when I was 15,” says 49-year-old Prapat Sukkeaw. “I smoked marijuana, but it was laced with heroin. I felt like I was floating, and it meant that I could forget about all the problems that I faced as a teenager. It was a beautiful feeling.” Prapat Sukkeaw is one of…
Watcharapol Mahaprom, who goes by the name Paan, accesses services at a clinic in Bangkok run by the UNODC-supported non-governmental organization, Ozone. The organization promotes harm-reduction services which focus on their clients’ needs with the aim of preventing the health and social impacts of drug use. He spoke to UN News ahead of the International…
A Thai Navy launch travels at high speed down the muddy brown waters of the Mekong River close to the border town of Chiang Saen in the north of Thailand. To the right is Laos, where huge construction projects funded by foreign investment are rising out of the lush undergrowth along the riverbank and ahead…
A court in Dubai has sentenced an Arab woman to prison and deportation for drug possession, while her friend has been fined. According to foreign media, the court of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced an Arab woman to one month in prison for drug possession and expulsion from the Emirates with a…
Jeddah: Security authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested 6 Pakistanis for selling drugs. Saudi Arabia’s anti-narcotics force arrested 6 Pakistanis for selling drugs in Jeddah. In a statement issued by the Saudi anti-narcotics authorities, it is said that 6 Pakistanis were found involved in the sale of ice drugs. The statement also said that ice…
Issuing the warning at the launch of its annual report, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) cited data indicating that the trend caused “negative health effects and psychotic disorders” among some recreational cannabis users, while also contravening the UN 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. “In all jurisdictions where cannabis has been legalized, data show that cannabis-related…
