Indeed, some of the targets agreed upon this time last year may be reached ahead of schedule. Nonetheless, the fact remains that between three and four per cent of the world's population still regularly consumes illegal substances. That intravenous drug use is still one of the leading causes of the spread of AIDS, with devastating consequences across the globe. That the consumption of some new drugs is also increasingly widespread, especially among young people. And that criminal organizations have no scruples in taking advantage of globalization and technological advances in transport and telecommunications.
Drugs continue to blight and indeed destroy far too many human lives.
The costs associated with their use continue to impose a heavy burden on the social infrastructure of numerous countries, whether they be developed or developing. Valuable human and financial resources continue to be diverted away from productive activities which are essential for development and prosperity. Drug trafficking also continues to foment corruption, one of the most formidable obstacles to good governance. I would therefore like to reiterate, on this international day against drug abuse, that the struggle we are engaged in is vitally important. There is no need to remind anyone that tragically and quite literally, this is often a question of life and death.