The slogan of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) anti-drugs campaign to be launched on 26 June, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, is "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs." The slogan will be used for three years and focus on different aspects of drug control: drug abuse in 2007, drug cultivation and production in 2008, and illicit drug trafficking in 2009.
With this campaign, UNODC aims to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society. No individual, family or community is safe where illicit drugs take control. Drugs may control the body and mind of individual consumers, the drug crop and drug cartels may control farmers, illicit trafficking and crime may control communities.

The campaign's goal is to inspire people and mobilize support for drug control. The proposed overarching campaign and the generic slogan are flexible. For example, variations on the slogan could be used to suit different contexts.

Artistic Events: Do drugs control your creativity?; Sport Events: Do drugs control your game?; Baseball Caps: Do drugs control your brain?; T-shirts: Do drugs control your body?

Types of drugs under international control

UNODC and its campaign only focus on drugs subject to control, as specified in the three multilateral drug treaties that form the backbone of the international drug control system. These illicit drugs include amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), coca/cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, opiates, and sedative hypnotics.
Nearly 200 million people are using these drugs worldwide. Cannabis -marihuana, hashish, THC- leads by far with 162 million users. ATS -amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, methcathinone- follow with 35 million users. Globally, an estimated 16 million people use opiates -opium, morphine, heroin, synthetic opiates- and some 13 million people use cocaine.

Cocaine use in Western Europe is of particular concern, where consumption is reaching alarming levels. Cannabis, which is grown and used all over the world, is changing. The drug's potency has increased in recent years, and there are indications that cannabis-related mental health risks may have been underestimated. Opiate use levels along the trafficking routes originating from Afghanistan, the world's top opium producer, are the highest anywhere. ATS use in Asia is also a problem.

1998 UN General Assembly Special Session on the global drug problem

Nearly 10 years ago, the General Assembly adopted a political declaration on the global drug problem that said the following in its initial statement:

"Drugs destroy lives and communities, undermine sustainable human development and generate crime. Drugs affect all sectors of society in all countries; in particular, drug abuse affects the freedom and development of young people, the world's most valuable asset."
Drug abuse, production and trafficking were considered then and now as key areas to tackle in the fight against illicit drugs.