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International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

In 1987, the UN General Assembly decided to observe June 26 as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse. In the words of Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, "Illicit drugs destroy innumerable individual lives and undermine our societies. Confronting the illicit trade in drugs and it's effects remains a major challenge for the international community." This date was chosen to commemorate Lin Zexu's dismantling of the destructive opium trade in Humen, Guangdong, just before the First Opium War in China. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) states that nearly 200 million people are using illicit drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and/or hallucinogens. These statistics highlight the importance of aiming towards an international society free of drug abuse.