For pontiff, "the problem of drug use is not solved with drugs! Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise" because "The scourge of drug use continues to spread inexorably, fed by a deplorable commerce which transcends national and continental borders." To win, we have "to say 'yes' to life, 'yes' to love, 'yes' to others, 'yes' to education, 'yes' to greater job opportunities."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "No to every type of drug use. It is as simple as that! Drugs are an evil, and evil there can be no failure or compromise," said Pope Francis during a meeting with participants from the 31^st edition of the International Drug Enforcement Conference, which ended today in Rome.

The pope said no to "every type of drug", including soft drugs, alcohol and prescription drugs by users because they do not solve the problem. "But to say this 'no', one has to say 'yes' to life, 'yes' to love, 'yes' to others, 'yes' to education, 'yes' to greater job opportunities."

"The scourge of drug use," the pope explained, "continues to spread inexorably, fed by a deplorable commerce which transcends national and continental borders. As a result, the lives of more and more young people and adolescents are in danger. Faced with this reality, I can only manifest my grief and concern."

"Let me state this in the clearest terms possible: the problem of drug use is not solved with drugs! Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise. To think that harm can be reduced by permitting drug addicts to use narcotics in no way resolves the problem. Attempts, however limited, to legalize so-called "recreational drugs", are not only highly questionable from a legislative standpoint, but they fail to produce the desired effects."

"Substitute drugs are not an adequate therapy but rather a veiled means of surrendering to the phenomenon. Here I would reaffirm what I have stated on another occasion: No to every type of drug use. It is as simple as that. No to any kind of drug use (cf. General Audience, 7 May 2014). But to say this "no", one has to say "yes" to life, "yes" to love, "yes" to others, "yes" to education, "yes" to greater job opportunities. If we say "yes" to all these things, there will be no room for illicit drugs, for alcohol abuse, for other forms of addiction.

"The Church, in fidelity to Jesus' command to go out to all those places where people suffer, thirst, hunger and are imprisoned (cf. Mt 25:31-46), does not abandon those who have fallen into the trap of drug addiction, but goes out to meet them with creative love. She takes them by the hand, thanks to the efforts of countless workers and volunteers, and helps them to rediscover their dignity and to revive those inner strengths, those personal talents, which drug use had buried but can never obliterate, since every man and woman is created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:26)."

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