Cannabis continues to dominate as the most widely consumed drug globally, with 228 million users, followed by opioids (60 million users), amphetamines (30 million users), cocaine (23 million users), and ecstasy (20 million users).
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed this information at an event in New Delhi, India.
While releasing the UNODC World Drug Report 2024, Marco Teixeira, UNODC Regional Representative for South Asia, advocated for evidence-based prevention programs, particularly targeting youth, to equip them with essential knowledge and skills for steering clear of drug use.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune in New Delhi, Shombi Sharp, the UN Resident coordinator in India, emphasized the need to balance efforts to uphold the right to health, human rights, and assist those struggling with addiction.
Cocaine vaccine: Could it help drug addicts?He said the efforts taken by BRICS and India in their anti-drug campaign are the best approach.
The report released just after World Drug Day, observed on June 26 every year, underscores a troubling increase in worldwide drug consumption, driven by the emergence of powerful new synthetic opioids, intensifying the global drug crisis and amplifying its severe health, social, and environmental consequences.
Due to a drastic 95% decline in Afghanistan's opium production in 2023, coupled with a 36% increase in Myanmar, global opium production plummeted by 74% in 2023, the report reveals.
The report released by the UN also underscores the ecological impact of drug production and trafficking, highlighting the detrimental effects of chemical spraying on illicit crops. The report further discloses that drug trafficking empowers organized crime syndicates, leading them to diversify into additional illicit sectors including wildlife trafficking, financial fraud, and illegal resource extraction.
