Worldwide, some 275 million people have used drugs in the past year. Caused in part by the COVID-19 crisis, this is an increase of 22 percent measured from 2010. That is one of the main conclusions of the latest annual report released last Thursday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which also provides an overview of global drug markets and their impact on overall health.
According to the World Drug Report 2021 of the UNODC is the use of cannabis in certain parts of the world, has quadrupled in the past 20 years, while the percentage of adults who classify the drug as harmful has fallen by as much as 40 percent.
This view prevails despite the evidence that cannabis use leads to a variety of health problems, especially with regular and long-term use. In addition, most countries have indicated an increase in cannabis use during the corona crisis.
“Low risk assessments of drug use have been associated with an increase in drug use. In addition, the findings of UNODC's 2021 World Drug Report highlight the need to narrow the gap between vision and reality by informing young people and thereby protecting public health,” said UNODC Executive Director, Ghada Waly.
Socio-economic impact
The COVID-19 crisis has put more than 100 million people in extreme poverty and has exacerbated unemployment and inequality, as 255 million jobs were lost last year.
Mental health problems have also increased worldwide. This factor also contributes to the increase in global drug use. Mainly the use of cannabis and tranquilizers.
Underlying socio-economic factors have also likely increased the demand for certain resources.
business as usual
At the same time, the report shows that drug dealers have quickly recovered from the contraction due to, among other things, lockdowns. Currently, operations are back on the pre-pandemic level, made possible in part by an increase in the use of technology and cryptocurrency payments, which operate outside the mainstream financial systems.
Access to drugs has also become easier than ever with the ability to sell online, with major drug markets on the dark web now worth some $315 million.
Contactless drug transactions, for example through the mail, are also on the rise, a trend that may have been accelerated by the pandemic.
Technological innovation, combined with the adaptability of drug traffickers, who use new online platforms to sell drugs and other substances, are likely to increase accessibility to illicit drugs.
Positive trends
An increase in technology use during the pandemic has also fueled innovation in drug prevention and treatment services, through more flexible services such as remote medicine, enabling healthcare professionals to reach and treat more patients.
Meanwhile, the number of new psychoactive substances entering the world market fell from 163 in 2013, to 71 in 2019.
These findings suggest that national and international control systems have succeeded in limiting the spread of such substances in wealthy countries, where the increase was first noted a decade ago.
Looking to the future
"Drug use costs lives," says the UNODC boss. “At a time when the speed of information dissemination is often faster than the speed of verification, the COVID-19 crisis has taught us the importance of breaking speculation and focusing on the facts.”
The publication of the 2021 World Drug Report is ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illegal Trafficking.
The 2021 theme of the UNODC-led campaign is “Share Drug Facts, Save Lives” to create a world without drug abuse.
Key Figures:
- Between 2010 and 2019, the number of people using drugs increased by 22 percent, partly due to the increase in the world population.
- About 200 million people used cannabis in 2019, representing 4 percent of the world's population.
- The number of cannabis users has increased by almost 18 percent over the past decade.
- In 2019, an estimated 20 million people used cocaine, equivalent to 0,4 percent of the world's population.
- In the United States, about 2019 people died from opioid overdoses in 50.000, more than double the number in 2010.
- Fentanyl and its derivatives are now involved in most deaths.
- The number of new psychoactive substances found at the global level has stabilized in recent years at just over 500 substances (541 in 2019), while the actual number of NPSs identified for the first time at the global level fell from 213 to 71 between 2013 and 2019.
Sources ao UNNews, newsboy, DW
