 The global war on drugs has been fought for 50 years without preventing a long-term trend and increased drug supply and use. It is actually creating many of the problems that it is supposed to be fighting against. The war on drugs undermines international development and security. Deforestation and pollution occurs. The drug war creates crimes and enriches criminals. The value of the illegal market is around 300 billion dollars a year. The money that is created by the illegal trade provides financing for paramilitary groups and terrorist groups. Between 70 and 100 billion euros a year is spent globally enforcing the war on drugs. The war on drugs promotes stigma and discrimination. The war on drugs threatens public health, spreads disease and causes death. In many countries drug control efforts lead to terrible human rights abuses, torture by police, mass incarceration, executions and extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detention and denial of basic health services. Around 1,000 people a year are executed for drug offences. It is time to call on our governments and the United Nations to count the costs and more importantly to explore those alternatives.