Pope Francis spoke out against the legalisation of drugs and called drug dealers “assassins.” He also called for help and support for drug addicts.
He spoke to a crowd in St Peter’s Square at his weekly audience on Wednesday, 26 June.
A reduction in drug addiction is not achieved by liberalising drug use — this is an illusion — as has been proposed, or already implemented, in some countries.
He linked his appeal to what the United Nations labelled as World Drug Day.
At the same time, however, let us remember that each addict has a unique personal story and must be listened to, understood, loved, and, insofar as possible, healed and purified.
Francis, 87, did not distinguish between so-called light drugs (such as marijuana, legalised for recreational use in several countries and some US states) and “hard” drugs, such as heroin and cocaine.
We cannot ignore the evil intentions and actions of drug dealers and traffickers. They are assassins.
The Pope also condemned the “destructive impact” of drug production on the environment. He stated that it was “increasingly evident, for example, in the Amazon basin” in Latin America.
