World governments at a UN meeting on the global drug problem were urged Tuesday to move away from repression , abolish the death penalty for drug offenses and step up treatment. In the 1st such meeting in nearly 20 years, the UN General Assembly adopted a document that marks a shift away from the "war on drugs" launched in the 1970s, with its heavy-handed approach centered on law enforcement and criminalization. "Drug policies that focus almost exclusively on the use of the criminal justice system need to be broadened. They need to be broadened by embracing a public health approach," said World Health Organization (WHO) director Margaret Chan, drawing applause. The 3-day special session was requested by Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala, which have felt the brunt of the war on drugs with an explosion of crime and violence. Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto said the fight against drugs must be seen from a "human rights perspective" ...
Striving for a World without Capital Punishment