(Bloomberg) -- Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro warned that millions of young Americans will die if the “failed” war on drugs continues for another four decades, in an impassioned plea to change the policy toward narcotics.

In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, Petro said that nearly three million U.S. citizens will overdose on fentanyl if there’s no change of approach.

“We’ll see millions of Afro-North Americans locked up in private jails,” Petro told the world’s leaders on his speech. “And we’ll see another million Latin Americans murdered.” 

Still, Colombia’s first leftist president, who took office last month, stopped short of laying out the details of his alternative to decades of repressive drug policies, beyond saying that creating a “better society” would cut demand. 

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In his speech, Petro also warned that US-led war on drugs has contributed to the destruction of the Amazon. Colombia is the world’s biggest producer of cocaine.

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