At Linköping University, we believe in a drug-free campus. Caring for each other and for ourselves is important. We who are active in this campaign are the student unions (Consensus, LinTek and StuFF), Kårservice and the Student Health at Linköping University.
Below is some more text connected to the various claims as well as links you can follow to get help. Also, don’t miss that LiU’s own student health is also available as a first instance and is free for you who study at Linköping University.
“Cheers for gang wars!”
Gang crime and organized crime are financed to a large extent by the sale of various narcotics, both nationally and internationally.
Drug sales are often linked to organized crime, gang crime, terrorist organizations and drug cartels. Several sources indicate that drug sales are a large part of the income for these organizations. In Stockholm alone, there are over 50 criminal gangs whose biggest source of income is cannabis sales. Another example is the terrorist act in Madrid in 2004, where 193 people died and over 2000 people were injured, was entirely financed by drug trafficking.
Another side of this problem is the deadly violence. Large parts of the cocaine sold in Europe come from Mexico. Between the years 2006-2018, there were approximately 12,500 – 150,000 murders that can be linked to organized crime. This means that there were about 35 murders per day during the 12 years. These figures also exclude the 73,000 people who are still missing. In Sweden, 61 people died in 2022 in connection to shootings. According to the police’s own sources, these shootings are primarily related to gang crime.
“There are no parties you can go to again, but comprehensive brain damage.”
When using drugs, the body’s own reward system is affected, which can result in lasting structural changes. It also increases the risk of mental illness.
Narcotics use the same physiological mechanisms as the body’s own reward system. The pleasant feeling that arises when using drugs is therefore often caused by the body’s own reward system becomes overstimulated and can therefore be disturbed over time. This can lead to a chemical or psychological dependence, in an attempt to escape the discomfort that occurs when the reward system is not activated.
Even if one does not become addicted, drugs can contribute to mental illness, or alternatively increase an already existing depression. Over time, repeated drug use can lead to passivity, lack of motivation and a sense of meaninglessness, among other things. It also increases the risk of psychosis and depression.
“Hip hip hooray, every day is child labour day!”
All children have the right to grow up in a drug-free environment, unfortunately it doesn’t look like that for everyone. Children are often used as labor in both the production and sale of narcotics. It’s something that puts children at risk, exposes them to health risks and gets them caught up in gang crime.
Smuggling, selling and producing cocaine is very ruthless. Often the producers use children as labor. This means that the children often get stuck in criminal lives, which are difficult to get out of. In Sweden, there are also children within the criminal networks where they are used as labor to handle and sell drugs.
According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, all children have the right to grow up in a drug-free environment. In homes where drugs are available, children often get hurt. Often as a result of narcotic-classified substances occurring in violence in close relationships.
Money that circulates due to the drug trade also affects the population of the poorest countries in the world. Drug production generates organized crime, which corrupts the countries. This makes it difficult to combat child labor and poverty.
“No rainforest, no problem!”
The production and use of narcotics leads to major environmental destruction. Everything from the fact that the plants require many km² of cleared rainforest to the fact that chemicals and pesticides pollute land and waterways.
The production and use of narcotics leads to environmental destruction. An example of drug-related environmental destruction is the cocaine plantations, which constantly require new land. These plants can only be grown on the same land for 3-4 harvests, therefore rainforests are cleared to create new areas. There are calculations that show that for every gram of cocaine that is produced, about 4 square meters of rainforest is destroyed.
Pesticides and other chemicals used in the production of drugs also end up in drains, rivers and streams. These residual products affect both plant and animal life, and other crops are affected when the toxins end up on fields. People who work with handling the product are also at risk of being harmed by staying in the toxic environment.
“I can stop whenever I want!”
Whether it is conscious or not, the use of both narcotic and non-narcotic substances can be difficult to stop using.
But there is help to get!
Repeated use or addiction affects both the individual and society at large in the form of accidents and sick leave. The person’s drug use can negatively affect studies, working life and interests. Family, friends, work colleagues and generally one’s social network are also affected.
Some people are able to stop using drugs independently, while others need help. Below you will find some different resources:
- 1177-https://www.1177.se/sjukdomar–besvar/psykiska-sjukdomar-och-besvar/beroende-och-skadligt-bruk
- Droghjälpen – https://droghjalpen.se/
- Anonyma narkomaner – https://www.nasverige.org/
- Föräldraföreningen mot narkotika – https://fmn.se/