世界节假日博览 第121期:国际禁毒日

June the 26th is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. It is a day organized by the United Nations to raise awareness of the dangers of drug abuse and the illegal drug trade. It started in 1988 and has got bigger each year. This seems necessary as the trade in illegal drugs is increasing greatly. The 26th of June was chosen for historical reasons. It was on this day that a Chinese official of the Qing dynasty, Lin Zexu, dismantled the opium trade in Guangdong, China, just before the Opium War started. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan said: “Illicit drugs destroy innumerable inpidual lives and undermine our societies.” He added the drug trade “remains a major challenge for the international community”.

6月26日为国际禁毒日。由联合国发起，旨在提高人们对毒品以及贩毒的危害意识。国际禁毒日起始于1988年，推广度逐年扩大。随着非法贩毒日益猖獗，宣传国际禁毒势在必行。选择6月26日有历史原因。就在鸦片战争发起之前，清朝大臣林则徐曾在广州虎门销烟。前联合国秘书长科菲·安南称：“无数生命因贩毒葬送，它还会危害社会发展。”他还称贩毒仍是国际社会所面临的重大挑战。”


The United Nations estimates the annual illegal drug trade is worth US$500 billion a year. It leads to considerable problems in most societies around the world. Drugs can destroy families, communities and lives and make people turn to crime. The revenues from drugs help tyrants stay in power and finance terrorist groups. Billions of dollars a year are spent on trying to catch international drug traffickers, and the drug dealers that plague our streets. Many countries seem to be fighting a losing battle against the drug gangs. Younger and younger people are using drugs. They are now a huge problem in schools. The UN says nearly 200 million people worldwide are addicted to drugs.

据联合国预测，每年毒品交易额达5000亿美元。大量问题在全球社会中产生。毒品让家庭破碎，扰乱社区发展，危及人身安全，甚至走上犯罪道路。贩毒收益助独裁者做稳做大，为恐怖分子提供资金支持。每年为打击贩毒分子斥资数十亿美元，贩毒人员遍布街区。许多国家在对抗毒品团伙中败下阵来。吸毒人员年龄向年轻化发展。这是学校面临的重要难题。联合国称全球近2亿人为瘾君子。