UNODC WDR 2007 Costa B-roll

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Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, speaking at UNODC’s Vienna headquarters on June 15th 2007.

He highlights several of the key themes of the UNODC 2007 World Drug Report, being launched 26/06/07

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1. On evidence that that the global drug problem is being brought under control

"The situation is being contained in the sense that it was a runaway train. It was a situation out of control that now is under control.

There is stability overall for the reduction, for the trafficking, for the abuse – whatever commodity we are thinking about; heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana."

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2. On Africa's vulnerability to drug traffickers seeking new supply routes

"Africa is under attack. Traffickers of cocaine from the West, of heroin from the East. Why? Because Africa is vulnerable. Many parts of Africa are out of control.

Poverty is endemic and massive."

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3. On how the latest strains of cannabis are making people sick

"Marijuana smokers are not just getting high, they are getting sick. Permanently sick.

The destructive potency of that drug is so high now –ten times bigger than it was when I was a kid- and it can do as much damage as the other narcotics".

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4. On the need to see drugs as a health problem as much as a crime issue

"I would like greater emphasis in dealing with drugs as a health problem. And therefore spending an adequate amount of money on health programmes – treating drug addiction as they would cancer or diabetes, or TB or any other illness."

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For media enquiries please contact:

Richard Murphy
UNODC Spokesman
Tel: +43 1 26060 5761
Mob: +43 699 1459 5761
richard.murphy@unodc.org