Special Political and Decolonization Committee
International Drug Trade
Republic of Finland
Maddie Thompson
Forest Hills Eastern High School
The International Drug Trade is at a high point, there is an increased number of non prescribed medications and psychological inebriants circulating on behalf of large criminal networks such as cartels and terrorist organizations. This is a topic of interest for the committee to address because the demand for narcotics and psychotropic substances has dramatically increased worldwide. Finland is concerned for the well being and health of its own citizens as well as millions of people around the globe. According to Statistics Finland, a Finnish data company, there were more than 200 deaths in 2017 due to drug abuse. The question surrounding the legalization of different controlled substances in different countries is very prominent because of the diversity on the map. In Finland, the use of unprescribed medication is illegal, although it is understood that most countries will not take this stance because of the economic benefits of their drug exchange. Illicit drugs generate large sums of money which then flows back into the financial sector of the economy.
Drug use in Finland is primarily based around prescription drugs. Although there is a prominent illicit drug problem in the Republic. Prevention is run by the central and local governments usually headed by the National Institute for Health and Welfare. Non-governmental organizations, such as the A-Clinic Foundation or A-Klinikkasaatio are also prominent in helping rehabilitate addicts by establishing centers and therapy. Finland’s drug and opioid use has dramatically increased in the last year, most commonly with cannabis and ecstasy. In 2012 alone there were between 18,000 and 30,000 problem users of amphetamines and opioids in the country. On a national level, Finland has participated in many conferences such as the National Drug Strategy of 1997 and the Narcotics Act. There were approximately 27,800 narcotic offenses in 2017. 17,050 of these offenses were possession charges while the rest remained aggravated narcotics offenses. Government officials are in consensus about the general health of the people and the illegality of unprescribed drugs, although in moderation a conversation about the legalization of cannabis has started to be brought up. The Organization addressing this issue in Finland is the National Institute for Health and Welfare.
Finland proposes the United Nations set a standard drug spectrum. The decision on worldwide levels of drugs and their benefits or detrimental effects on people. After doing this, countries could individually handle the legalization of drugs on their own.
- Madison Thompson
