Today, on World Drug Day 2025 we join the global community in calling for urgent action to Break the Cycle and #StopOrganizedCrime.

The launch of the World Drug Report 2025 exposes a stark reality: transnational organized crime is driving the global drug problem, and it is our youth who pay the highest price. From urban centres to rural coastlines, no region is immune. Organised crime exploits vulnerabilities, fuels addiction, perpetuates violence, and undermines the rule of law.

Every year we receive new numbers by the World Drug Report, this year showcasing a particular focus on transnational organised crime. The illicit drug economy thrives where systems are weak, youth are neglected, and prevention is underfunded. The rise of synthetic drugs, expanded trafficking networks, and the links between drug markets and other crimes, including human trafficking and environmental destruction, demand a coordinated, multi-sectoral response.

No matter the country or place, prevention is of utmost importance. But in contexts that lack social infrastructure, struggle with poverty, corruption and lack of opportunities thus fuelling organised crime and substance abuse, prevention is much more. It is essential. It is essential not only for drug demand reduction but to strengthen protective factors around children, families and communities, thus offering safe and healthy development that, if done right, goes hand in hand with peace building, decrease of gender-based violence and even increase of equality.

There are still significant gaps in drug demand reduction and supply reduction efforts. It is within these gaps and challenges that civil society play a crucial role in offering prevention services. Local organisations, community leaders, and youth groups are often the first to identify risks, provide support, and advocate for long-term solutions. Their expertise, proximity to affected communities, and commitment to justice make them indispensable partners in prevention.

To truly break the cycle, we must:

• Increase investment in evidence-based prevention strategies that are age appropriate, gender-sensitive, data-driven and contextualised to local realities, shifting focus from the individual to their environment;
• Expand robust monitoring and evaluation that are disaggregated by gender, to ensure accountability, impact, and learning;
• Support cross-sector collaboration between health, education, justice, and civil society actors;
• Empower and fund civil society organisations on the frontlines of prevention, treatment and recovery services.

When prevention is done right it leads to better mental health, reduced violence, increased school engagement, and stronger communities.

This is not merely a public health imperative but rather a call for shared responsibility and sustainable efforts. The illicit drug trade thrives where prevention is absent. Let us stop organised crime, decrease the harms caused by illicit drugs and supporting youth by investing in what works. Breaking the cycle begins by invest in comprehensive, early and long-term prevention.

The evidence is clear: invest in prevention.
Break the cycle. #StopOrganizedCrime

#WorldDrugDay #BreakTheCycle #StopOrganizedCrime #InvestInPrevention