June 26 is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking or more simply International Anti-Drug Day or 6/26, a United Nations International Day created in 1989 to promote efforts against drug trafficking and abuse.

The date was chosen to commemorate Chinese politician and political philosopher Lin Zexu's hardline dismantling of the opium trade in parts of China, ending on June 25, 1839. He would later go on to become a major player in the First Opium War between China and Britain (the latter of which backed the British East India Company which had been deliberately addicting many officials in the Chinese government to opium in order to counter a trade imbalance between the two countries) that ended with a Chinese defeat. Lin Zexu is praised for taking the "morally high ground" in his anti-drug efforts, but is also blamed for a rigid approach that failed to account for the problem's domestic and international complexities.

Anti-drug advocates often call it "6/26", mirroring marijuana smokers' "4/20" to celebrate cannabis.

Many activities, such as rallies and poster designing, are done to show support for victims of drug abuse and trafficking as well as prevention efforts. On the flip side, many have complained about some countries' executing drug traffickers to show off how harsh their anti-drug punitive measures are.

"Justice and health are two sides of the same coin when it comes to addressing drug problems." – 2019 slogan

More Information

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (Wikipedia)

See also

• June (month)