Topic: 2024-Substance Abuse
Country: United Kingdom
Delegate Name: Julia Callahan
Committee: World Health Organization (WHO)
Topic: Substance Abuse
Country: The United Kingdom
Delegate: Julia Callahan
School: East Grand Rapids HS
Substance abuse refers to the excessive use of drugs for purposes other than what’s intended. This behavior is often hazardous and harmful, putting emotional, financial, and physical burdens on the individuals abusing drugs as well as their family, friends, and society as a whole. Sociodemographic trends, gender, age, and rate of urbanization are all drivers of this issue, and at least 15.3 million persons have drug use disorders. Harmful alcohol use is alarmingly present as well, resulting in 3.3 million deaths each year while less than half the population (38.3%) actually drinks alcohol, meaning that alcohol consumers average 17 liters of pure alcohol annually. In 2008, of all the people in the world ages 15 to 64, 3.5% to 5.7% actively used psychoactive substances, including amphetamines, cocaine, opioids, non-prescribed psychoactive prescription medication, and cannabis, which is the most used stimulant. Countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, the USA, and Great Britain suffer from the worst drug problems, with issues like high youth unemployment, inflation, and social pressures being some of the leading causes of addiction in these countries. The delivery of the drug, whether injection, inhalation, or ingestion, can alter the physical effects on someone’s body, and the type of drug changes the result as well; however, all drugs misused affect the brain. Drugs cause large amounts of dopamine,e which makes individuals crave it more and more, though continuous and active use creates a codependency. Those who suffer from substance abuse experience academic problems, health problems, mental health problems, disrupted relationships, and overall, it has a negative impact on the person, disrupting their quality of life. The rate of addiction and the number of substance-induced vehicular accidents is a testament to the need for action.
The United Nations’ commitment in 1955, The World Programme of Action for Youth on Drug Abuse (A/RES/50/81), has been a pivotal resolution that has emerged to address the vulnerability of young people to drug abuse and the surplus of consequences from addiction. The international community wanted to place emphasis on reducing drug use and supply of illegal drugs, creating programs that will recognize the nature of substance abuse and the probability of relapse. Resolutions affirming the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme assist in this aim. The WPAY resolution had many proposals for action, including pushing youth to participate in drug reduction programs, training on rational use of pharmaceuticals containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, treatment for drug-dependent and alcoholic youths, and cooperating with the private sector, opting for preventative actions. Other UN resolutions and programs on substance abuse include The Global Youth Network, World Drug Campaign, Youth and Drugs: A Global Overview, and the World situation with regard to drug abuse, with particular reference to children and youth. The International Society of Substance Use Professionals “plays a unique role within the substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support fields by providing a focal point for information and access to professional development opportunities.” The ISSUP works alongside the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the African Union. Programs such as the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), the Society for Prevention Research (SPR), the European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR), and Applied Prevention Science International (APSI) all helped establish the ISSUP and work towards the same goal of preventing and aiding substance abuse.
In the United Kingdom in 2018 and 2019, there was 7% of young adults had taken a Class A drug, leading to 18,053 hospital admissions due to drug misuse poisoning and 2,917 deaths due to the poisoning. Cannabis, cocaine, and nitrous oxide have been the most commonly used drugs in the UK, with around 2.6 million people actively using cannabis in 2018/19. Substance abuse has impacted the UK’s health services, crime rates, and economy, contributing to mental health problems, homelessness, and drug-related deaths, which have been rising, especially from opioids. The UK has taken serious action against substance abuse, commencing a ten-year program; considering that 300,000 of our people are addicted to heroin and crack cocaine, the UK has provided immediate treatment efforts and support while focusing on the illegal supply of drugs and reducing recreational drug use. The strategic priorities will help combat the issue, including breaking drug supply chains, delivering world-class treatment and recovery services, and achieving a shift in demand for recreational drugs, all to combat substance abuse. The UK pushes for similar adoption of our ten year plan, pushing the priorities to fix overall the problem plaguing our country and world.
