UNODC World Drug Report 2024: Expanding Drug Market, Ese, and Harms Increase World Drug Problem

OrganizationsInternational Organizations ♦ Published: June 26, 2024; 09:55 ♦ (Vindobona)

The newly published World Drug Report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) paints an alarming picture of the global drug problem. The report documents a significant increase in drug use and trafficking, leading to a rise in drug addiction and considerable environmental damage.

“Drug production, trafficking, and use continue to exacerbate instability and inequality, while causing untold harm to people’s health, safety and well-being,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. / Picture: © UNODC/Max Brucker / Flickr Attribution (CC BY 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

The production of cocaine reached a new high of 2,757 tons in 2022, an increase of 20 percent compared to the previous year. At the same time, the area under coca bush cultivation increased by 12% to 355,000 hectares. These developments have not only led to an increase in violence in the producing countries but also to health problems in the consuming countries, particularly in Western…