Press. voanews.com
A new report finds a significant rise in the number of
women dying from drug overdoses globally, while fewer women than men receive
treatment for their addiction and are more severely punished for drug-taking.
The annual report of the International Narcotics
Control Board finds governments do not pay enough attention to the huge and
growing problem of drug abuse among women. The International Narcotics Control
Board, which monitors implementation of U.N. international drug control
treaties, says women get short shrift when it comes to the enactment of
gender-sensitive policies.
Gender-biased
INCB President Werner Sipp tells VOA one-third of
global drug users are women, but only one-fifth receive treatment. He says
there tends to be a gender bias against women, as they often are punished more
harshly for drug-related offenses than men.
“We know that women are significantly more likely than
men to be prescribed narcotics and anti-anxiety medications or we see that
women are increasingly being arrested for drug-related crimes in some regions
much more than men. They have even a disproportionate increase in drug
overdoses,” he said.
The report notes HIV infections and mental health disorders
are more prevalent among women who abuse drugs. It warns locking women up for
drug crimes has a serious and detrimental impact on them and on their children
and families.
Not just in rich countries
Sipp says drug abuse is a problem in both rich and
poor countries, though data in African and Asian countries is scant. He adds
women drug abusers are likely to have greater difficulty receiving the
treatment they need in developing countries.
"I think in Africa, the stigma of women, the
stigma, which women have to face is probably greater than for instance in
Europe or in the U.S," he said. "A woman who is addicted does not
dare to confess, to show that she is addicted because this might lead to very
bad consequences in her community or in the society in general.”
The report calls for alternative measures to
punishment and conviction for minor drug crimes among women. It recommends more
investment in treatment and rehabilitation programs, education, and social
integration.