A Decade After UNGASS: Overdose Prevention, Harm Reduction, and the Future of Global Drug Policy

Ten years ago, world leaders gathered at the United Nations for the 2016 Special Session on the World Drug Problem (UNGASS), amid growing recognition of the enormous human costs of the War on Drugs and the need for a different approach.

A decade later, where are we now — and where do we go from here?

On September 22, as world leaders, diplomats, civil society organizations, advocates, researchers, and changemakers from around the globe converge on New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is bringing together the people working to build a more evidence-based and humane future for drug policy.

Join UN delegates, youth leaders, harm reductionists, researchers, public health experts, advocates, and people with lived experience for an evening exploring what sensible drug policy actually looks like in practice — from preventing overdose and expanding harm reduction to ending criminalization and repairing the harms of the War on Drugs.

The gathering comes one day after National Opioid and Substance Use Awareness Day and during the 10th anniversary year of the 2016 UNGASS on the World Drug Problem. It’s a chance to look back at the commitments and debates of a decade ago, take stock of what has changed, and — most importantly — talk about what we do next.