June 26 is the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, and the aim of the day is to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse. At the end of the 19th century, a major opium epidemic happened in China, and Great Powers fought for control of opium markets, because it was such an important source of revenue for the government. “Many national economies were as dependent on opium as the addicts themselves.”[1] However, anti-opium activists held a first international conference on narcotic drugs in Shanghai in 1909 which, over the next fifty years, led to a multilateral system to control production, trafficking and abuse of drugs.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime. Established in 1997, UNODC operates in all regions of the world through an extensive network of field offices. United Nations wrote a resolution about effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem which includes measures such as: addressing demand and supply reduction, and improving access to controlled medicines while preventing diversion. Some challenges that have emerged are new psychoactive substances, strengthening international cooperation and alternative development. The biggest concern is the health and welfare of humankind.

I agree that people who are prone to substance abuse might be dangerous to themselves or others, but I do not think that the legal system is balanced with how many years a person would get for possession or trafficking of drugs, in contrast to a person convicted of rape or murder. In some countries, the maximum and minimum penalties for drug trafficking are far greater than that of murder. The maximum penalty for drug trafficking is equal or even greater than the maximum for rape. Criminal punishment and the use of force is not a correct way to fight this problem. I believe that murdering someone is a way more heinous crime and should be treated as such, by contrast to drug-related crimes (not including murder). What is more, I believe that more effort should be put into rehabilitation centers and prevention of drug use rather than violently attacking people who are in possession of drugs for recreational use. The drug laws have become as harsh in the US and, consequently, Latin America, because it is beneficial for politicians to declare a war on drugs, as it makes one very popular by the eyes of the citizens who think that politicians wish to protect children and teenagers. As it turns out, wanting to get rid of crime has had the opposite effect – promoting it, the children of the convicted single mothers have no other choice than to resort to prostitution or becoming a drug dealer.

Drugs should remain controlled but in order to control the production, manufacture and trafficking in an effective way one would call for a legalization of some drugs at least. Illicit drug trafficking is such a big market that it will never disappear completely. The more sanctions a government or a control system implements, the more will people find illicit and secret ways to persevere. It is a good business since so many people prefer to escape their problems rather than confronting their mistakes and weaknesses, and drugs provide an effective solution to that. People will always find ways to escape reality and we have become hard-wired for a quick fix. Today’s society cannot wait months or years to deal with their problems, they want a quick solution – and oftentimes the solution is not the best and will make the problem even worse – but a promise of a good time sounds better than confronting ourselves and looking inside us. By legalizing the softer drugs (such as cannabinoids or hallucinogens), there will be more control over what people produce and what clients take in their bodies, therefore having less risk on health.

The scope of cannabis production and consumption is massive. Estimated 95% of the world’s heroin supply comes from opium produced in Afghanistan and almost all the cocaine comes from three countries: Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. However, cannabis is grown in almost every country in the world, both indoors and outdoors, and often in small amounts only by the users themselves. Therefore, it is often traded freely by people not involved in other criminal activity. The law enforcement pressure has actually inadvertently driven the cannabis production indoors, which in turn promotes higher potency products (because the most potent female plant, called sinsemilla, has to be grown in isolation so the pollination from the male plant cannot reach it) and increases the share of production in the consumer countries.

At the same time, we should expand evidence-based approaches to prevention, treatment and support of addiction. I vote for good evidence-based research results, also considering the health effects of certain drugs, instead of fearmongering and bending evidence in a way to suit a certain agenda. Some recent studies have shown that microdosing psychedelic drugs might have promising benefits for mental wellbeing for people suffering depression and anxiety, among other mental illnesses. If it really helps mental stability and improves focus, I do not see why these drugs should not be used as treatment, considering all the other prescription drugs readily available. It should be socially and academically acceptable to research drugs in order to be more knowledgeable on the subject.

Having said all that, and even though there are drugs that may have some health benefits and drugs that could be considered not as dangerous and physically addictive as others, it is still evident that psychological addiction can be just as damaging. I have seen people struggle with enjoying life. It might be that the body’s reward system is not functioning fully by releasing less feelgood hormones as the average person when sober, therefore some people need to engage in risk-taking behavior to feel alive. More impulses are needed to achieve that surge of happiness, chasing after another high to feel anything at all. And it is sad to see, how, in the end, not much else matters than getting that high again; relationships and human connections suffer, as it becomes impossible to communicate with people who are under the influence. It is hard to accept or understand the severity of the problem as an addict, because addiction affects the brain’s executive functions, and people may not be aware that their behavior is causing problems for themselves and others. It is understandable that to the people who develop an addiction it is the only way to live or to feel anything positive, but it is extremely sad to see a happy person change into an empty shell of their former selves, walking around like a living zombie. As humans we mostly have the freedom of choice, and while I cannot tell people how they should live their lives, I hope they think long and hard before making that choice.

I recommend watching Requiem for a Dream about what addictions can do to people.

Jaanika Malla
 
Sources:
[1]https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/100_Years_of_Drug_Control.pdf

https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/bulletin/2006/How_cannabis_is_produced.pdf

https://psmag.com/news/is-drug-trafficking-worse-than-murder-57445

https://www.un.org/en/events/drugabuseday/resources.shtml

Today, the 13th of June is the International Albinism Awareness Day. Today, we’re going to highlight a condition that has been misunderstood and stigmatized, harming thousands of innocent people for years as a consequence – and the discrimination is still going on. What is albinism, how are people with this condition affected and why?

Albinism is a condition caused by a lacking ability to produce melanin – a broad term for a group of natural pigments found in most organisms. The condition is inherited, non-contagious and affects all sexes and ethnicities. In most cases albinism is inherited in a recessive pattern, meaning that both parents of the affected carry the mutated gene without showing signs of it. People who suffer from albinism are physically characterized by very light skin and hair. They usually have impaired sight and are sensitive to the sun and bright light. Due to this, these people are also more prone to get skin cancer, which statistics also show as in some societies the majority in this group dies from skin cancer between 30 and 40 years of age. There’s no cure for albinism, but skin cancer can be prevented with the access to health care and sun-protective means such as sunscreen.

However, health and social support can not be taken for granted. In fact, in many countries these helpful means are not available. Albinism is most prevalent in sub-saharan Africa and in some of the poorest countries in the world such as Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Furthermore, not only do people with albinism suffer from their physical condition, but also a significant stigma. Due to their different looks and disabilities people with albinism often face intersecting discrimination and abandonment from families. This is a global problem, although most reported cases come from African countries where the harassments are more severe. Reasons for this include poverty, the fact that most habitants are dark-skinned and ignorance in the form of perilous belief of witchcraft. Body parts from people with albinism are believed to give happiness, prosperity and wealth. Hence, the victims constantly face the threat of having their bodies violated in the hands of a corrupt market. Their life isn’t worth a penny, but their body parts are worth a fortune.

So what are the underlying mechanisms for this kind of discrimination? There are many feasible explanation for this, one being that what is unknown is also unpleasant. How often do you feel this way? I know I do, many times per day, and I believe that it’s a normal psychological phenomena. What’s foreign is equivalent to chaos. Too much chaos makes us uneasy and anxious, which is weary for the brain. On the opposite, structure and routines bring us equanimity and comfort. This is why our brain constantly tries to make sense out of our surrounding by categorizing and explaining it. This function is crucial for our survival, because imagine if we didn’t have it and just looked at things as they appear to us: a table for example would just be four sticks connected to a disc and not something on which you can put things. It wouldn’t be a concept that makes sense to us and is therefore of no use. In psychological terms these concepts are called cognitive schemas, which are basic assumptions about how the world works.

Broken down like this it’s obvious that this function is necessary for us. However, the world is very complex and sometimes we simplify our environment too much and create inaccurate explanations that can cause serious harm. I believe that this is the foundation for hostility, as we become afraid or aversive towards the unknown. In the worst scenarios we have witnessed hostility being directed at different groups of people, such as individuals with albinism. This is horrendous and we can contribute to the better by educating ourselves and raising issues like this. We stand in solidarity against intolerance and we give voice to those who are silenced.

Jenny Giang

Recently, a new survey surfaced on my Facebook page, giving information on people’s attitude towards LGBT+ topics in Estonia, my home country. Estonian Human Rights Center has conducted three studies regarding the topic in 2012, 2014 and 2017. Now, a new survey has been conducted in 2019, and it was sad to see how little the attitudes have changed regarding homosexuality. 41% out of the 1022 respondents thinks that homosexuality is acceptable but, sadly, more than half (52%) of Estonians still think it is unacceptable. Differences in the attitude might be attributed to age, education levels and the language spoken at home. 56% of the people would not think differently of their child if they were gay or lesbian. Only 44% of the people, however, would not be disturbed by the teacher of their children being openly homosexual, and 46% would vote for a candidate if they were homosexuals.

Interesting to note that 59% of the respondents would not feel uncomfortable in a social setting involving gays, and 60% for lesbians. I am wondering what could the LGBT+ people do to make heterosexuals so uncomfortable; would they be threatening their heteronormativity by being themselves? In most cases the poor people probably don’t even know how many homosexuals might have been hanging out with them or even shook their hands. 45% of the respondents believe that allowing same-sex people to marry would lessen the value of marriage between a man and a woman. This part is very confusing to me, how can a marriage between two loving people diminish anyone else’s love? Only 38% agree that same-sex couples should have the right to marry and even less (27%) agree that same-sex partners should be able to adopt children. There is one development though! First time in the history of this survey, there are more people supporting (49%) than opposing (39%) the legal registration of cohabitation for same-sex partnership. 

I cannot say I am surprised by the numbers; I have always said that while young Estonians are pretty open-minded and chill about the subject, I still see an overwhelming discomfort with, and hateful things uttered on the subject. The older the people are, the less they are okay with people loving who they wish – also, very evident in my own family where my grandmother is very adamantly against homosexuals. I believe my parents are also a bit confused on the subject because I haven’t really seen support from them but at least they do not say hateful things. The rise of our Conservative People’s Party does not help with the situation, as they are very focused on protecting the family and getting the “homo propaganda” out of our schools, kindergarten, and our small country, where women only exist to make babies.

We had a win in 2014, when Estonia was the first formerly Soviet-occupied country that passed a law allowing same-sex couples to legally register their partnership. However, the implementing acts were not passed because of governmental change and the situation remains unclear. Additionally, Estonia does not recognize same-sex marriages. In 2018, Estonian Supreme Court affirmed that a same-sex marriage between an Estonian and an American, wedded in the US, is not recognized by the state and the American does not have the rights to live or work in our country. I heard their story at a LGBT+ event and I cannot imagine what they must go through – wishing to live together, even having had the opportunity to get married only to have our country not recognize a piece of paper just because they are the same sex. It’s hard enough falling in love with someone outside of Europe, I wish the situation was easier for the people involved. There should be no borders when it comes to love.

On Rainbow Europe map, Estonia ranks 21st among the 49 European countries (including non-EU) with regard to policies and laws protecting the rights of the LGBT+ community, according to ILGA. The ranking called Rainbow Europe records country’s legal standards (regarding equality, family issues, hate speech, legal gender recognition, freedom of expression and asylum rights) to compare with its European neighbors. To improve the situation in Estonia, we should start with our government, considering how people in power choose to regard people different from them quite negatively. By contrast, our first female president, Kersti Kaljulaid, is openly supportive of same-sex couples and draws attention to many flaws in Estonian society, such as talking about domestic violence in her speeches. Therefore, the political landscape and the society is becoming more and more polarized. Secondly, I hope that Estonia will overcome the legal limbo regarding same-sex partnership. Comparing Estonia to its neighbors, Finland ranks fourth in the list and Latvia 39th. It is harrowing how vast the difference is between the neighboring countries; we have a lot to learn from Finland.

Taking my country’s situation into account I really cannot say that I am proud to be Estonian. I have lived and am living abroad, and I wish I could offer better news about the situation in my country. Homophobia is not the only problem we should overcome – sexism, racism, alcoholism and domestic violence are some of the other demons we should confront. However, who I am is a proud bisexual woman hoping for a better future and better attitudes towards women, homosexuals and people of color in our small safe Estonia.

Jaanika Malla

Sources:
https://humanrights.ee/teemad/vordne-kohtlemine/eesti-elanike-hoiakud-lgbt-teemadel/

https://estonianworld.com/life/lgbt-rights-estonia-ranks-21st-on-rainbow-europe-map/

You are suffocating. The organs you rely on to produce oxygen are giving and when the toxic level increases we can no longer breath. Do you feel it? Maybe you can imagine how it might feel like but you cannot really know since it is not actually happening to your own organs. The organs I am talking about are the ones you share with the entire earth in systematic connections. I am talking about the oceans.

Over 70 percent of the earth is covered by oceans and the same amount of our oxygen comes from these oceans. This might come as a chock; why are we then fighting to maintain the Amazon, rainforests and forests around the world? Firstly, it is correct that the Amazon turns carbon dioxide into oxygen and produces 20 times more oxygen than all humans can consume. But not a single one leave the forests. The water that the trees and vegetation are absorbing creates a floating river that goes to the Andes. Here the gas condenses and makes a river, which subsequently erodes the nutrient-rich rocks. When the river finally enters the ocean it's enriched with the substances from the mountains. Nutrients work as a fundament for new life in our oceans. It enables diatoms (the secret of Earth's oxygen supply) to reproduce.

Not only are the oceans the lungs of our planet but they also regulates the climate, gives us food, cleans the water we drink and are a great source of medicines. But all of this only works if the oceans are functioning. Plastic pollution, high amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, chemicals and unsustainable fishing damages the oceans normal conditions. This is resulting in climate change all around the world. A difference in fauna in the water, the oceans, is affecting the food chain and more than 2.6 billion people are depending on the ocean to provide them with protein.

The theme for the World Oceans day 2019 is gender: Gender literacy and to create greater oceans. The United Nations motivates this with: “to promote gender equality in ocean-related activities such as marine scientific research, fisheries, labour at sea, migration by sea and human trafficking, as well as policy-making and management." to discuss the topic and try to change it. (1) This is a rather unreached issue and especially in relation to oceans. But to work with empowering women and girls is one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals that is also strongly connected to a sustainable future in all aspect of human life and the environment.

We can see a rising awareness of plastic pollution. ‘Play it out’ is a campaign to prevent plastic from going into the oceans. Today, 13,000,000 tons of plastic leak into the oceans every year, damaging and killing 100,000 marine animals annually. This affects our living conditions directly. Of course the climate can handle more than we sometime think. We have had different climates during the early stages of this planet. What is happening now though, is altering the circumstances of our living conditions. For example, the oxygen level in the atmosphere has stayed on 20,9 percent during a long time working as a prerequisite for our form of life, a higher level oxygen can lead to a burning earth instead.

Celebrate this day by thinking about something else than yourself. Grab a bag – preferably not plastic – and go outside to collect plastic waste that has ended up in the nature, by the ocean, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is to get the plastic pollution to stop and to deal with the damage we humans have don. This might seem pointless when there is only one percent of the plastic in the oceans that we can see. But sometimes the small task can make a difference. The policy-makers and politicians need a mass of people to enable the society accordingly. This is also strongly associated to the power of the consumer. Ergo, the work of making the oceans sustainable is equal to a sustainable future where everyone can participate.

Ewa Florin
1. https://www.un.org/en/events/oceansday/index.shtml