‘Support. Don't Punish’ Global Day of Action

Support. Don’t Punish is a worldwide campaign that calls for better drug policies focussing on health and human rights – instead of punishing people who use drugs.

Held every year on June 26, the campaign is an alternative to the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. It was established by the United Nations in 1987 to showcase efforts to combat and eradicate drug abuse, through support – not punishment.^1,2

The day is moving the view of drug use from a criminal issue to a health issue. It aims to unite people globally to recognise that the ‘war on drugs’ approach leads to stigma, exclusion and harm.

Drug use is a public health issue

With an estimated 39.5 million people with a drug use disorder globally, illicit drug use and dependence are key public health areas.³

Illicit drug use includes use of drugs that are not legal, the non-prescribed use of pharmaceutical drugs, and use of other substances such as inhalants.⁴

Drug dependence comes with a risk of health issues, including:

• overdose
• blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis C and HIV
• organ damage and neurological disorders.⁵

It’s estimated that more than 500,000 people died as a result of drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) in 2019 globally.³

Criminalisation of drugs does not work

Historically, strategies for addressing substance use have focused on criminalisation.⁶

Many governments have implemented criminal punishment, including the death penalty, for drug traffickers and people who use drugs, but these measures don’t deter drug use or trade.⁷

In fact, 1 in every 17 people aged 15–64 in the world had used a drug in the past year in 2021 – a 23% increase compared to 2011.3

The criminalisation of drug use has also led to the increased policing of lower socio-economic people, non-white communities, and First Nations peoples.

Non-white people are more likely to be arrested, sentenced and imprisoned for drug-related offences and racially targeted by drug laws.⁸

Support for health-based approaches in Australia

There’s growing awareness that a health-centred approach is more effective in reducing the harms associated with illicit drug use.⁹

In recognising this, the ACT decriminalised all drugs in 2023, and Queensland announced an expansion of their drug diversion program - allowing people caught with a small amount of drugs to be given a warning and referral to support service, instead of a criminal conviction.^10,11

The latest 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey report also shows Australians support health-based measures:

• support for drug checking (pill testing) increased to 64% in 2022-23, from 57% in 2019
• most people now support supervised injecting/consumption rooms, with 53% in favour
• support for legalisation of personal use of cannabis also increased to 45%, and for the first time was higher than support for increasing penalties for sale or supply
• belief that the possession of cannabis shouldn’t be a criminal offence also reached an all-time high of 80%.¹²

The Support. Don’t Punish campaign relies on its thousands of supporters to grow the reach and impact of its collective message.

It’s all about accelerating energy for reform.

Find out more

• Support. Don’t Punish
• A health-based approach to alcohol and other drugs
• Examples of a health-based approach to alcohol and other drugs
• Drug policy is a human rights issue
• Decriminalisation in Australia