BOGOTA D.C., Colombia – February 2019: The Ministry of Justice of Colombia launched a new drug policy for 2019-2022, including five strategic pillars to tackle the drug challenge in Colombia. Among these pillars, the Government recognizes the challenge of synthetic drugs and NPS in Colombia and aims at their early detection and reduction by proposing the following strategies:

a)    To promote normative reforms and constant updates in the field of synthetic drugs and NPS;

b)    To strengthen the institutional network to address the problems encountered with synthetic and emerging drugs as well as NPS (particularly in forensic identification and judicial processes);

c)    To strengthen the early warning systems at national and international level to obtain fast and detailed information on synthetic drugs and NPS and to facilitate investigations and judicialization of criminal
       networks;

d)    To define technical and normative tools that facilitate the operations of judicial authorities;

e)    To strengthen institutional capacities of administrative, operational, forensic and judicial authorities;

f)     To conduct monitoring and chemical drug characterization of the illicit synthetic drug market through coordination, interinstitutional collaboration and access to international databases;

g)    To develop information campaigns to raise awareness among youth on the risks and dangers of drug use; and

h)    To promote the generation of evidence-based policy guidelines.

For further information, please see:

Ruta Futuro: Política Integral Para Enfrentar el Problema de las Drogas 2018