Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Representative to the United Nations, announced the launch of the Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms (Prevent Alliance) on July 11, 2024.
The initiative, a collaboration between the United Nations and tech giants like Meta, Snap Inc., and X Corp, aims to combat the global rise in synthetic drug use and overdose deaths.
“Two out of every five Americans know someone who has died of an opioid overdose…in every corner of the world…we’re seeing a rapid rise in synthetic drug use, dependence, and overdose death,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.
She stated the urgent need for international cooperation to address this crisis, noting how criminal groups quickly adapt their tactics to leverage technology platforms, including social media, to promote illicit drugs.
The Prevent Alliance is a public-private partnership dedicated to disrupting the online flow of synthetic drugs. By fostering cross-industry cooperation, the alliance seeks to make synthetic drugs less accessible online, promote drug-prevention content across various platforms, and establish best practices for drug-prevention campaigns.
This effort builds on the work of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, launched by Secretary Blinken last year, and the recent adoption of new controls on synthetic drug manufacturing by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
Maggie Nardi, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), highlighted the importance of collaboration, stating, “Governments alone cannot shield people from the dangers of synthetic drug misuse; we must forge stronger alliances with public health, civil society, affected communities, academics, and industry to combat their illicit manufacture, distribution, and promotion.”
Under the Biden Administration, the United States has dedicated significant resources to combat the demand for drugs, focusing on public awareness, health interventions, and measures to prevent and detect the illicit manufacturing and trafficking of drugs.
These efforts include support for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, as well as leading the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.
Delphine Schantz, director of UNODC’s New York office, emphasized the importance of evidence-based prevention in a digitalized world.
“Evidence-based prevention is key to respond to the drug use situation globally, especially in a rapidly digitalized world.
Social media nowadays carries an important influence on the individual. To harness this influence positively, science can help,” she said. Schantz highlighted the role of the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention in creating a healthy environment for youth and fostering resilience against drugs.
Nell McCarthy, Vice President of Trust and Safety at Meta, echoed the importance of collective action, saying, “Families and communities around the world are struggling with the opioid crisis.
From governments to the private sector, and health care systems to civil society organizations, we must all do our part to combat this crisis, which is why Meta is proud to be part of the Prevent Alliance.”
