Why OVOM

Founding and Facts About OVOM

OVOM was founded when a group of experienced experts and parents from five continents came together to create a new and necessary counter-voice against the global drugs lobby. They were united by growing concern over weak political leadership, the lack of will and courage to uphold the International Drug Conventions, and the failure to fully respect the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

This group shared one clear objective: to bring about change in increasingly lenient drug policies and to stand up for the protection of children, families, and societies worldwide.

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Why OVOM

In the Netherlands, parents became increasingly aware of the consequences of a pivotal policy shift on 1 November 1976, when the Dutch Opium Act introduced a distinction between two categories of drugs: those considered to have “unacceptable risks” and those deemed to have “less grave risks.” With this distinction, the concept of “hard” and “soft” drugs was born and later promoted internationally—despite being in conflict with international drug treaties.

Over the decades that followed, Dutch society has paid a high price for governments ignoring the dangers associated with cannabis use and trade. Liberal drug policies have contributed to the country developing characteristics of a narcotics state: a thriving parallel drug economy accompanied by corruption, infiltration of institutions, and impunity.

The demand and supply of illegal drugs in society resemble a cancer that has grown and spread across borders. Drug policy is therefore not a local issue—it is a global concern that affects us all.

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The Mechanism Behind Harmful Drug Narratives

Criminal and opportunistic actors, driven by profit rather than moral values, consistently seek to exploit others, including the most vulnerable in society. Often operating against the laws that are meant to protect us, they take advantage of division and misinformation.

They do this by shaping and repeating false narratives over time. These narratives misuse language, symbols, and well-intentioned concepts, creating confusion and mistrust. Through persistent promotion, manipulation, and sometimes bribery, such narratives are made to sound acceptable and credible. Some people believe them, others do not—but the result is division, a fractured society, and a dangerous path forward.

This is a path we cannot continue to follow.

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One Voice, One Message

OVOM stands for common sense and truthfulness. We unite people worldwide around the fundamental right to live and grow up in a drug-free environment. We promote a drug-free lifestyle and reject the negative and dangerous influence that drugs have on individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole.

The impact of drugs on our environment, moral values, and social structures is unacceptable.

That is why OVOM was officially launched on 26 June 2022.

With One Voice and One Message, we unite to defend the right of all children to grow up in a drug-free environment.

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