UN Report Shows Global Drug Abuse Headed in Positive Direction

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime´s (UNODC) 2007 World Drug Report found that illicit drug consumption and production throughout the world has slowed. However, officials cautioned that effective drug prevention and treatment is critical in order to keep global rates on a downward trend.

"For almost all drugs - cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamines - there are signs of overall stability, whether we speak of production, trafficking or consumption," said UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa.

The UN Report shows that global markets for illicit drugs remained largely stable in 2005-06. Coca cultivation in the Andes continues to decline and global cocaine consumption has stabilized, although the reduction in the United States is offset by alarming increases in Europe.

The market for amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) such as ecstasy has also been contained, with levels of production and abuse stable in many countries; and for the first time in decades, global statistics do not show an increase in world production and consumption of cannabis. In addition, coordinated drug law enforcement has driven up the volumes of drug seizures throughout the world. More than 45 percent of the cocaine produced in the world is now being intercepted (up from 24% in 1999) and more than a quarter of all heroin (against 15% in 1999).

Costa noted that while there are growing signs that both the supply of and demand for drugs are broadly stable, the situation could easily deteriorate again. “We cannot take our foot off the brake. Drug prevention and effective health care for addicts remain vital,” Costa said.

The UN Report also said many problems remain. Opium production in Afghanistan remains a major problem, with cultivation increasing dramatically in 2006, offsetting remarkable successes in eliminating other sources of opium supply, especially in South-East Asia. In addition, traffickers are seeking new routes, for example through Africa.

Click here for a summary of the UN’s 2007 World Drug Report.