UNDP’s Development Dimensions of Drug Policy Report (2025) Frames Drug Policy as a Development Challenge Beyond Law Enforcement
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
Institutions: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment | Ministry of Home Affairs
The UNDP’s Development Dimensions of Drug Policy (2025) underscores that global drug policy must be treated as a development issue rather than a purely criminal one. The report estimates the global drug economy at US$600 billion–1 trillion annually and notes that 316 million people used drugs in 2023, a 28% rise over the past decade. It structures the debate around five interlinked dimensions: economic development and livelihoods, governance, public health, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
Case studies highlight alternative models-Portugal’s decriminalization reducing overdose deaths, Bolivia’s regulated coca framework improving livelihoods, and Türkiye’s controlled opium cultivation for medical use. The report stresses that punitive approaches alone often worsen poverty, overcrowd prisons, and undermine health outcomes. Instead, drug policy should align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with reforms including harm reduction services, livelihood alternatives for farmers, proportional sentencing, and gender-sensitive interventions.
For India, this framing is critical as narcotics control intersects with public health (opioid dependence treatment), livelihoods (farmers in vulnerable regions), and human rights (over-incarceration risks). Shifting toward a development-linked drug policy could better balance enforcement with social protection, health systems, and SDG commitments.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India embed drug policy within its public health, livelihood, and human rights frameworks to move beyond enforcement toward a development-oriented approach that aligns with the SDGs?
Follow the full report here: https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2025-09/undp-development-dimensions-of-drug-policy.pdf