Anti-drug and HIV/AIDS PSAs

Using web-based distribution channels, UNODC offers its multimedia materials in various digital formats and languages to broadcasters, non-government organisations (NGOs), and others around the world - free of charge - and encourages widespread use. This collaborative process is designed to reach as many potential and actual drug users around the world with factual, accurate information about how to prevent and address health problems, such as HIV/AIDS, associated with this behaviour.

UNODC's campaign entitled "Drugs: Treatment Works" stresses the importance of effective drug treatment to both the drug-dependent community and the general public. The year-long initiative was launched on June 26 (2004), the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Campaign materials available on UNODC's website include fact sheets; online photos of and stories by individuals all over the world who have successfully undergone drug abuse treatment; a treatment and rehabilitation toolkit including 4 publications drawing on research, evaluation reports, and field expertise; and various radio materials. The radio PSAs, in English or Spanish, offer personal success stories from people around the world who have fought their drug addiction through effective treatment. Also produced and available for download was a 5-minute interview with a UNODC treatment expert, who provides information on different treatment possibilities.

UNODC also created radio PSAs as part of "Let's Talk About Drugs - HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse". These spots are designed to raise public awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS and also attempt to dispel common myths that surround the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Offered in Amharic, English, French, Swahili, and Spanish, the spots feature people communicating about HIV/AIDS, such as a doctor discussing HIV test results with a patient. Many of the spots are available with either male voices (e.g., a male physician speaking to a male patient) or female voices (e.g., two women talking); this is part of an effort to reach out to different audiences in dispelling myths like "I feel fine; I cannot be HIV-positive". These spots - as well as accompanying fact sheets, available as full-colour, print-quality PDF documents - can be accessed by clicking here.

In honour of World AIDS Day 2004, UNODC launched a campaign called Think AIDS to raise awareness about the relationship between drug use and HIV/AIDS among people aged 15 to 30 who are susceptible to drugs. The slogan ("Think...before you start...shoot...share") is designed to prevent injecting drug use in the first place by asking young people to consider the consequences, such as HIV infection, before acting. As part of this campaign, UNODC produced a number of free radio and TV spots that that warn about the dangers of drug abuse and direct youth to the campaign website for more information. The radio spots may be downloaded or ordered for broadcast in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, Farsi, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, and Ukrainian. The TV spots are available in English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, and German. Other printed campaign materials (posters and logos, in various languages) featuring stark images (e.g., a close-up photograph of a human arm; a person's feet hovering at the edge of a building) may be downloaded on the Think AIDS website.

Health, HIV/AIDS, Youth.

UNODC estimates the total number of drug abusers worldwide at approximately 185 million. More than 13 million of them are injecting drug users; in some regions more than 50% of them are infected with HIV. Injecting drug use has caused 5 million HIV infections around the world.

"A common misconception exists that 'once a drug abuser, always a drug abuser'. This attitude and the stigma associated with drug abuse and drug dependence hinders society from being proactive in meeting and treating the needs of drug abusers. In truth, drug abuse treatment is effective and can have a dramatic impact on individuals, families and society", according to Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director, UNODC.

UNODC is mandated to assist Member States in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime, and terrorism. The organisation notes that "Globalization has created an environment where illicit drugs, crime and terrorism can flow easily across borders."