Global illicit drug users to rise 25% by 2050, says UN
Baku, June 30 (AZERTAC). The global number of illicit drug users is likely to grow by 25% by 2050, with the bulk of the increase expected to take place among the rapidly rising urban populations of developing countries, according to the United Nations.
The UN's office on drugs and crime (UNODC) also predicts that the biggest growth area in illicit drug use is most likely among women as cultural barriers disappear and gender equality improves.
The UN's annual drugs report published on Tuesday forecasts a decline in the prominence of heroin and cocaine as consumption in North America and western Europe falls sharply and the "burden of the global drug problem" shifts from developed to developing countries.
In an unusual attempt to forecast future drug trends, the UN report suggests that while cannabis will remain the most widely used illegal substance, the biggest increase is likely to be seen in the use of synthetic drugs including "legal highs" and the non-medical use of prescription drugs "diverted from legal supplies".
The annual snapshot of drug use says that around 230 million people, one in every 20, took illicit drugs at least once in 2010. There are about 27 million problem drug users, mainly chronic heroin or cocaine users, representing about 0.6% of the world's population.
The UN says that production of opium soared by 61% in Afghanistan from 3,600 tonnes in 2010, when plant disease wiped out almost half the crop yields and triggered steep price rises, to 5,800 tonnes in 2011. Global opium production reached 7,000 tonnes in 2011. Heroin use in North America and Europe appears to be stable or shrinking. The UN says that in Africa and Asia, which now account for 70% of heroin users, there is a clear lack of data but it is possible there is increasing but undetected patterns of use.
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