04/03/2008 00:00:00
Press Release: European NGOs march for drug peace in Vienna
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European NGOs march for drug peace in Vienna
On 7 March, from 17.00 onwards, a Drug Peace March will take place to
the seat of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna.
The march marks the start of a counter-event organised by the European
Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD) on the occasion
of the annual meeting of the CND that will take place from 10 to 14
March 2008. The purpose of the CND meeting is to evaluate the results of
a ten year strategy that was decided upon in New York in 1998, a
strategy whose goal was “to eliminate or significantly reduce the
illicit manufacture, marketing and trafficking of drugs”.
According to the latest figures of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the
production of illegal drugs in the past ten years has increased, with
100 % in the case of opium, 19 % in the case of cocaine, and 40 % in the
case of cannabis.
ENCOD, an independent platform of NGOs and individual citizens involved
in the drug issue as consumers, health workers or researchers, maintains
that the prohibition of drugs maximises the burden for those with little
or no participation in the drug market, while it has no measurable
impact on the global size of this market at all. "In fact", says ENCOD,
"drug prohibition increases the size and negative repercussions of this
market."
In a message to the CND meeting (see
http://www.encod.org/info/ENCOD-BULLETIN-39.html ), ENCOD wishes the
governments’ delegates in the CND meeting "a clear head. You will have
the opportunity to make a historical contribution to improve the living
standards for millions of people, and at the same time attack the main
income source of organised crime."
ENCOD proposes that governments "adopt non-repressive strategies in drug
policy that do not threaten the livelihood of peasants in developing
countries, do not damage the health of consumers and do respect the
rights of citizens, such as the right to grow and use natural plants for
personal consumption. Strategies should be implemented that would create
legal means for the production and use of hemp/cannabis, opium and coca,
plants that have served humanity for thousands of years."
The counterevent will also include a a conference with (inter)national
experts in the Vienna University (Altes AKH). For more information
please see http://www.encod.org/info/VIENNA-2008-TEN-YEARS-AFTER.html
ENCOD invites the representatives of the media to a Press Conference
with some organisers and speakers of the conference.
Place: Cafe Landmann, Dr. Karl Lueger Ring 4, 1010 Vienna
Time: Friday 7 March - 11.00 hs
Contact for more information:
Joep Oomen – ENCOD Coordinator
Tel. 0699 816 12676 / + 32 (0)3 293 0886 / + 32 (0)495 122644
E-mail: info@encod.org
Otmar Pusch
Tel: 0681 1036 0480
E-mail: pusch.otmar@gmx.at
Andreas Holy
Tel: 0699 1622 8661
E-mail: a.holy@found.at
EUROPEAN COALITION FOR JUST AND EFFECTIVE DRUG POLICIES
Lange Lozanastraat 14 – 2018 Antwerpen - Belgium
Tel. + 32 (0)3 293 0886 – Mob. + 32 (0)495 122644
E-mail: info@encod.org
http://www.encod.org
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=13324
Author:
ENCOD via UKCIA
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