Letters - 04 September 2015
From drugs to modern slavery
Drugs
The report from Tony and Voirrey Faragher (21 August) shows that the health and decriminalising drug use approach in Portugal cuts imprisonment and improves health. With the same decriminalisation policy applied in England and Wales 1,000 fewer people would go to prison.
In June 2014 Navanethem Pillay, United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said at a conference reviewing global drugs policy:
‘Criminalisation of drug use has considerable impact on drug users’ right to health. Users of illegal drugs may be reluctant to seek out health information, advice or treatment because they fear that information about their drug use could be shared with authorities, leading to possible arrest, imprisonment or treatment against their will.’
In addition, about one in three prisoners (approximately 30,000) in England and Wales has a criminal offence related to their drug use. The head of the drug prevention and health branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Gilberto Gerra, asked Quakers two years ago to raise awareness about the fact that imprisoning such offenders is not a viable solution, and that many alternative measures (such as community programmes) exist to provide necessary treatment.
In April 2016 the UN General Assembly is holding a special session entitled ‘World Drug Problem’. Countries will be involved in shaping the outcome. Quakers in Britain have an opportunity to encourage the UK government to support the UNODC document From coercion to cohesion, which argues for governments to provide health-based treatment for illegal drug users instead of punitive criminal justice measures.
Nicholas McGeorge
FWCC representative, UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs
The essence of Quakerism
Both the cover illustration and the article by Richard Eddleston (21 August) raise a query on what is twenty-first century Quaker faith.
My answer is: ‘A constructive response to truth, and to God, the source of truth’.
What say your readers?
Leslie Fuhrmann
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