ISLAMABAD: The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has called for the abolition of death penalty for drug-related offences.

Releasing the INCB’s annual report for 2014, its president said on Tuesday: “While the determination of specific sanctions applicable to drug-related offences remain the prerogative of states”, the board again “encourages those states which retain and continue to impose death penalty for drug-related offences to consider abolishing the death penalty for such offences.”

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It notes that drug control measures do not exist in a vacuum and that, in their implementation of drug control conventions, states must also comply with their obligations under other treaties, including the international human rights obligations.

The report says: Around 5.5 billion people still have limited or no access to medicines containing narcotic drugs such as codeine or morphine, leaving 75 per cent of the world population without access to proper pain relief treatment.

Underlining this discrepancy, the report notes that around 92pc of morphine used worldwide is consumed by only 17pc of the population, primarily living in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Addressing the discrepancy in the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes is one of the obligations for governments while complying with the international drug control conventions.

To achieve a balanced and integrated approach to the drug problem, governments also should ensure that demand reduction is one of the first priorities of their drug control policies, while they should put greater emphasis on and provide support and appropriate resources to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, the report says.

It points out that natural disasters and armed conflicts around the world can further limit access to essential medicines, and therefore reminds states that in cases of emergency medical care, simplified control measures can be applied.

States should also be aware, the report says, that under international humanitarian law, parties to armed conflicts have to allow access to medical care, including access to essential medicine, for the civilian population in territories under their control.

The report notes that there has been an increase of 11pc in the number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) with 388 unique substances identified as of 2014, compared to 348 the previous year. The extent of use of NPS worldwide illustrates the dynamic nature of the drug problem.

The INCB report also notes an increase of around 66pc in the global consumption of methylphenidate, a stimulant primarily used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This may be attributable to various factors, including: the increasing number of ADHD patients; a widening of the age group of the population likely to receive the treatment and lack of adequate prescription guidelines added to strong and influential marketing practices.

The South Asia region, owing to its location between the ‘Golden Crescent’ (Afghanistan and Pakistan) and the ‘Golden Triangle’ (Lao, Myanmar and Thailand) continued to be particularly vulnerable to the trafficking of opiates and heroin. In addition, widespread trafficking of cannabis, synthetic drugs and new psychotropic substances persisted in 2013.

The report says maritime routes that depart from ports in Iran and Pakistan are increasingly being utilised to smuggle Afghan heroin, as the use of physical barriers and monitoring posts along the eastern land border of Iran has made overland trafficking increasingly difficult.

Seizures of heroin at seaports by the Pakistani authorities more than doubled over the previous year, approaching 1.2 tons. The Anti-Narcotics Force also reported seizures of cocaine in 2013 and provided intelligence that assisted in effecting significant seizures of cocaine abroad, it says.

The annual prevalence of opiate abuse among Pakistanis aged 15-64 years has grown from 0.7pc in 2006 to 1pc in 2013, concurrent with increases in trafficking of opiates via Pakistan.

Published in Dawn March 4th , 2015

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