M A I N   N E W S

UN World Drug Report
Cocaine, opiate markets shrink
But synthetic drug abuse rises
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 24
The World Drug Report 2009 released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) indicates though the global markets for cocaine, opiates and cannabis are either steady or in decline production and consumption of synthetic drugs is rising in developing world.

Iran and Pakistan, the countries worst affected by drug trafficking, also seize the most amount of opiates (opium, morphine and heroin). In 2007 Iran seized 84 per cent of the world’s opium and 28 per cent of all heroin, while Pakistan ranked second in terms of heroin (as well as morphine) seizures.

The 314-page report, prepared on the occasion of World Drug Day on June 26, concludes there is a downward trend of opium, cocaine and cannabis use in the major markets but the use of synthetic drugs is on the rise, especially in the developing countries including India.

Opium cultivation in Afghanistan, where 93 per cent of the world’s opium is grown, fell 19 per cent in 2008. Colombia, which produces half of the world’s cocaine, saw an 18 per cent decline in cultivation and a staggering 28 per cent dip in production compared to 2007. Global coca production, at 845 tonnes, is at a five-year low despite some increase in cultivation in Peru and Bolivia.

Cannabis, however, remains the most widely cultivated and used drug around the world, with fresh data showing it is more harmful than usually believed. The average harmful component of hydroponic marijuana in North America doubled in the past decade, the report says. This has major health implications as evidenced by a significant rise in the number of cannabis users seeking treatment across the world.In terms of consumption the world’s biggest markets for cannabis (North America, Oceania, and Western Europe), cocaine (North America and some parts of Western Europe) and opiates (South East Asia and Western Europe) are either flat or down.

The distressing conclusion of the report relates to the rise in use and production of synthetic drugs in the developing world. “News on synthetic drugs — amphetamines, methamphetamine and ecstasy — is mixed. Use has levelled off in the developed countries but in the developing world it may be growing,” says the report, noting how what was once a cottage industry has now become a roaring business.

Industrial-sized labs in Southeast Asia — particularly in the Greater Mekong subregion — are producing massive quantities of methamphetamine tablets, crystal meth and other substances like ketamine.

Some countries in the European Union are the main suppliers of ecstasy; Canada has become a major trafficking hub for meth and ecstasy, the use of which is on the rise in India as well.

It has also been found that drug trafficking routes are shifting. While 41 per cent of the world’s cocaine is being seized (mostly in Colombia), only one-fifth (19 per cent) of all opiates are being intercepted. Iran and Pakistan are the countries most badly affected by drug trafficking, says UNODC, calling upon nations to treat drug use as an illness.

“People who take drugs need medical help, not criminal retribution,” UN officials said, appealing for universal access to drug treatment.

“People who take drugs need medical help, not criminal retribution,” officials said, appealing for universal access to drug treatment.