June the 26th is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. It is a day organized by the United Nations to raise awareness of the dangers of drug abuse and the illegal drug trade. It started in 1988 and has got bigger each year. This seems necessary as the trade in illegal drugs is increasing greatly. The 26th of June was chosen for historical reasons. It was on this day that a Chinese official of the Qing dynasty, Lin Zexu, dismantled the opium trade in Guangdong, China, just before the Opium War started. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan said: "Illicit drugs destroy innumerable individual lives and undermine our societies.” He added the drug trade “remains a major challenge for the international community”.

The United Nations estimates the annual illegal drug trade is worth US$500 billion a year. It leads to considerable problems in most societies around the world. Drugs can destroy families, communities and lives and make people turn to crime. The revenues from drugs help tyrants stay in power and finance terrorist groups. Billions of dollars a year are spent on trying to catch international drug traffickers, and the drug dealers that plague our streets. Many countries seem to be fighting a losing battle against the drug gangs. Younger and younger people are using drugs. They are now a huge problem in schools. The UN says nearly 200 million people worldwide are addicted to drugs.

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