New Delhi [India], Highlighting the dire need to combat drug addiction, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said there is a worrying increase in drug use globally and the emergence of new and powerful synthetic opioids.
Synthetic opioids are substances that are synthesized in a laboratory and act on the same targets in the brain as natural opioids (for example, morphine and codeine) to produce analgesic (pain relief) effects.
The global body that works for the prevention of drugs and related crimes, observed in its latest report titled World Drug Report 2024 that the number of people who use drugs reached 292 million in 2022, an increase of 20 percent with compared to the last decade.
Cannabis remains the most consumed drug worldwide, with 228 million users, followed by opioids (60 million users), amphetamines (30 million users), cocaine (23 million users) and ecstasy ( 20 million consumers), according to this year's World Report. Drug report report.
The report also highlights the environmental impact of drug production and trafficking, including the harmful effects of spraying illicit substances on crops.
Noting the lack of scope for treatment of drug use disorders, he added that of the estimated 64 million people worldwide who suffer from drug use disorders, only one in 11 receives treatment.
In the case of women, the situation is even worse: only one in 18 women with drug use disorders receives treatment, compared to one in seven men, according to the report.
Additionally, the report revealed that drug trafficking-backed organized crime organizations are expanding their operations into other illicit sectors, including financial fraud, illegal resource exploitation and wildlife trafficking.
Speaking on the need to control drug addiction, Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, opined: "Our efforts must be balanced, upholding health rights, upholding human rights and helping people struggling with drug addiction. addiction".
Following a drastic 95 percent decline in Afghanistan's opium production in 2023 and a 36 percent increase in Myanmar, global opium production fell by 74 percent in 2023.
Long-term implications, including changes in heroin purity and a possible increase in demand for opioid treatment services, could soon be felt in countries affected by Afghan opioids, the report mentions.
Synthetic opioids are substances that are synthesized in a laboratory and act on the same targets in the brain as natural opioids (for example, morphine and codeine) to produce analgesic (pain relief) effects.
The global body that works for the prevention of drugs and related crimes, observed in its latest report titled World Drug Report 2024 that the number of people who use drugs reached 292 million in 2022, an increase of 20 percent with compared to the last decade.
Cannabis remains the most consumed drug worldwide, with 228 million users, followed by opioids (60 million users), amphetamines (30 million users), cocaine (23 million users) and ecstasy ( 20 million consumers), according to this year's World Report. Drug report report.
The report also highlights the environmental impact of drug production and trafficking, including the harmful effects of spraying illicit substances on crops.
Noting the lack of scope for treatment of drug use disorders, he added that of the estimated 64 million people worldwide who suffer from drug use disorders, only one in 11 receives treatment.
In the case of women, the situation is even worse: only one in 18 women with drug use disorders receives treatment, compared to one in seven men, according to the report.
Additionally, the report revealed that drug trafficking-backed organized crime organizations are expanding their operations into other illicit sectors, including financial fraud, illegal resource exploitation and wildlife trafficking.
Speaking on the need to control drug addiction, Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, opined: "Our efforts must be balanced, upholding health rights, upholding human rights and helping people struggling with drug addiction. addiction".
Following a drastic 95 percent decline in Afghanistan's opium production in 2023 and a 36 percent increase in Myanmar, global opium production fell by 74 percent in 2023.
Long-term implications, including changes in heroin purity and a possible increase in demand for opioid treatment services, could soon be felt in countries affected by Afghan opioids, the report mentions.
