International Drug Users’ Remembrance Day: History, Theme, and Significance
21 July is observed as International Drug Users’ Remembrance Day. It is aimed to remember those who have died as a direct or indirect result of drug use, bad policy or unjust drug law. Often, people’s lives are cut short due to the criminalisation and stigmatisation because of using drugs.
It is observed by the International Drug Policy Consortium, The International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) in association with UNAIDS. On a similar theme, The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, is marked on 26 June every year to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse.
About International Network of People who Use Drugs
The International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) is a global peer-based organisation that seeks to promote health and defend the rights of people who use drugs. It intends to expose and challenge stigma, discrimination, and the criminalisation of people who use drugs and its impact on the drug-using community’s health and rights. It also aims to achieve this through processes of empowerment and advocacy at the international level, while supporting empowerment and advocacy at community, national and regional levels.
Theme of International Drug Users’ Remembrance Day 2022
21 July is observed as International Drug Users’ Remembrance Day. It is aimed to remember those who have died as a direct or indirect result of drug use, bad policy or unjust drug law. Often, people’s lives are cut short due to the criminalisation and stigmatisation because of using drugs. The theme of International Drug Users’ Remembrance Day 2022 is “Addressing drug challenges in health and humanitarian crisis.” This addresses the different challenges the world is facing and tries to take steps to create a world free of drug abuse.
Quick facts about drug users
Here are quick facts about the Drug users in America:
- More teens die from prescription drugs than heroin/cocaine combined.
- 60% of seniors don’t see regular marijana use as harmful, but THC (the active ingredient in the drug that causes addiction) is nearly 5 times stronger than it was 20 years ago.
- The United States represents 5% of the world’s population and 75% of prescription drugs taken. 60% of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them free from friends and relatives.
- 54% of high school seniors do not think regular steroid use is harmful, the lowest number since 1980, when the National Institute on Drug Abuse started asking about the perception on steroids.
- By the 8th grade, 28% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 15% have smoked cigarettes, and 16.5% have used marijuana.
- Teens who consistently learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than those who don’t.
- 6.5% of high school seniors smoke pot daily, up from 5.1% five years ago. Meanwhile, less than 20% of 12th graders think occasional use is harmful, while less than 40% see regular use as harmful (lowest numbers since 1983).
Significance of International Drug Users’ Remembrance Day
The day aims at spreading more awareness about the harmful impact of drug abuse. It is also about instilling a sense of responsibility among the youth so that they do not fall prey to drugs. Various events are organised in schools and colleges to educate the students and inform them about the dangers of drug abuse.
The UNODC website states that you can do your part in the movement by sharing real facts on the drug situation, including its health risks, to contribute to the solution of the global drug issue. This year, the UNODC started the campaign – “#CareInCrises” – for World Drug Day.
History of International Drug Users’ Remembrance Day
On a similar theme, The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, is marked on 26 June every year to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse. It is observed by the International Drug Policy Consortium, The International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) in association with UNAIDS.
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