The Drugs Scenario - Global, Regional and National

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1 The Drugs Scenario - Global, Regional and National 1. The growing demand for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in the world is being met by an increase in their production through a proliferation of clandestine laboratories. This development was facilitated by advances in chemical technology, as well as the ready availability of substances and materials required for their production. 2. Some drugs are naturally occurring and obtained from plants such as the opium poppy and the coca bush while semisynthetic drugs such as heroin and cocaine are produced by the chemical modification of material extracted from these plants. On the other hand, synthetic drugs, e.g. amphetaminetype stimulants, are manufactured entirely by chemical processes in a laboratory. 3. At first, clandestine laboratories for the manufacture of heroin and cocaine were located in technologically advanced centres, but the recent trend has been to establish them Heroin has assumed a very important status in the closer to the areas where cultivation takes drug scenario, both from a global and regional place. In this context, heroin has assumed a perspective in South and South-West Asia. very important status in the drug scenario, both from a global and regional perspective in South and South-West Asia. Figure 1 depicts the spread of illicit heroin/morphine trafficking with an indication of the magnitude of the seizures in U N D C P

2 Figure:1 Key Areas: Seizures of Heroin and Morphine, 1996 Key Areas: seizures of heroin/morphine in kilograms, 1996 Note: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations 4. Heroin production has of late been boosted by bumper harvests of opium in several countries. The global production of opium reached 3,861 tons in 1996, the extent of land under cultivation of the opium poppy being 240,265 hectares. Almost 80 per cent of the world s production of opiates originate from the two main production areas, namely the Golden Crescent situated in South-West Asia and the other, the Golden Triangle in South- East Asia. Afghanistan is the largest producer of illicit opium and heroin in the world. 5. The opium output in Afghanistan was estimated at 2,248 tons in Current estimates (1997) suggest that 2,800 tons have been produced in Afghanistan. This represents a 25 per cent increase over opium production in1996. More than 2.5 percent of the country s arable land is cultivated with opium poppy. U N D C P 3

3 When opium poppy and coca cultivation in the world are taken together, Afghanistan ranks only second to Peru where over 3 per cent of the arable land is cultivated with coca. 6. The major opium growing areas in South-East Asia are north eastern Myanmar, northern Laos and north Thailand, collectively referred to as the Golden Triangle. Several countries of South and South-West Asia are This region s opium production in 1996 was strategically located on global heroin trafficking estimated at 1,377 tons, but the quantities routes. detected in 1996 were merely the tip of the iceberg. 7. As can be seen from figure 2, several countries of South and South-West Asia are strategically located on global heroin trafficking routes. Figure 3 depicts poppy cultivation districts in Afghanistan, trafficking routes and mainland exit points. Figure:2 Heroin trafficking routes Heroin Trafficking routes Heroin trafficking routes Opium poppy cultivation areas Note: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations 4 U N D C P

4 Figure:3 Afghanistan - Trafficking routes and main land exit points 1997 UZBEKISTAN TAJIKISTAN TURKMENISTAN IRAN PAKISTAN Known trafficking routes for opiates in Afghanistan, 1997 Note: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations 8. Almost 98 per cent of the world s cocaine supplies come from the three Andean countries: Peru, Colombia and Bolivia. Half the global cultivation of approximately 220,000 hectares takes place in Peru, while the other two countries contribute about a quarter each. The illicit production of coca leaves doubled from 1985 to About 1,000 tons of cocaine would have been manufactured from the 300,000 tons of coca leaves produced in The abuse of synthetic drugs has sharply increased since the 1980 s. The quantities seized in 1993 were nine times those seized in The principal synthetic drugs manufactured clandestinely are amphetamine-type stimulants, which include amphetamine, methamphetamine, and the recently popularised methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) and U N D C P 5

5 methcathinone. Another synthetic drug produced illicitly is lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Illicit laboratories manufacturing synthetic drugs have been detected mostly in the USA and Europe. More than 80 per cent of the illicit laboratories detected in the USA in the mid- The abuse of synthetic drugs has sharply increased 1990 s manufactured methamphetamine. since the 1980 s. During the period, detections of laboratories manufacturing amphetamine-type stimulants worldwide exceeded those of both heroin and cocaine laboratories together. In Europe, since 1990, there has been a notable increase in laboratories manufacturing ecstasy, whereas in the 1980 s the majority of such laboratories were confined to North America. 10. Most of the drug trafficking is carried out in secrecy and outside the boundaries of legitimate commerce. The opium poppy and the coca bush are grown in secret locations, except in rare instances as in India where the poppy is grown Most of the drug trafficking is carried out in secrecy for legitimate use under strict government and outside the boundaries of legitimate commerce. controls. Subscribing to the principle of supply and demand of commerce, the drug industry today is a multi-billion dollar business, estimated to have an annual turnover of US $ 400 billion. Law enforcement agencies in their attempts to contain it are often pitted against resourceful and desperate gangsters, cartels and even a private army, as was the case in Myanmar. 11. Synthetic drugs, unlike the plant-based heroin and cocaine, tend to be manufactured in clandestine laboratories located close to the respective user zones. Markets for these synthetic drugs are mainly in North America and Europe, with a growing 6 U N D C P

6 demand particularly from countries in South-East Asia. The proximity of manufacture to the market area helps to reduce risk of detection of the laboratories. 12.The most important centre for the production of methamphetamine is North America, particularly California and Mexico. In 1993, about 80% of all methamphetamine laboratories detected in the USA were from California, close to the Mexican border. The chemicals required for illicit drug manufacture are imported directly to Mexico, or via transit routes passing through neighbouring countries. 13.In Europe, the majority of clandestine laboratories detected are in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland. 14.Control of drugs by regulation is only possible at a few points where trafficking crosses legal pathways. One such point is where chemicals intended for legitimate use are clandestinely diverted for illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. 15. While precise estimates of drug abusers are not available, it is estimated that the annual global prevalence Control of drugs by regulation is only possible at a rate of illicit drug consumption is in the range few points where trafficking crosses legal pathways. of 3.3 per cent to 4.1 per cent of the total One such point is where chemicals intended for population. The single most widely abused legitimate use are clandestinely diverted for illicit drug is cannabis - estimated to be consumed manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic worldwide by 140 million people substances. (approximately 25 per cent of the world population). Figure 4 provides estimates of drug abusers worldwide for the latest year (1990) for which statistics are available. U N D C P 7

7 16. No reliable or comprehensive data exists as to the number of drug abusers in individual countries in South and South-West Asia. According to various estimates, the number of abusers ranges from a few cases in countries like Bhutan and Maldives to 4 million in Pakistan. 8 U N D C P

8 Figure 4. Estimated number of drug abusers (annual prevalence) in the 1990s - World Heroin and other opiate-type substances* Cocaine* Cannabis* Hallucinogens** ATS** Sedative-type substances** % 0.23% 2.45% 0.44% 0.52% 3.92% as % of total population Estimated total (million people) Sources: UNDCP Annual Reports Questionnaires; UNDCP mission reports; UNDCP Country Profiles; UNDCP Country Programme Frameworks; United States Department of State, International Narcotics Control Strategy Reports; UNDCP estimates. * Conservative estimates; results obtained through information from UNDCP s annual reports questionnaires; UNDCP mission reports; UNDCP annual field reports; UNDCP Country Programme Frameworks; data compiled in UNDCP s country profiles; data compiled by WHO; data compiled by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and the United States Department of State, complemented by UNDCP estimates. ** Estimates obtained through extrapolation of average prevalence rates obtained from a sample of countries (replies to UNDCP s annual reports questionnaire) representing, respectively, 21% (ATS; sedative type substances) and 11% (hallucinogens) of the world population. The application of the same methodology to cannabis (sample of countries representing 27% of global population) and cocaine (sample representing 21% of world population) would increase the total estimate of cannabis users to 180 million and of cocaine consumers to 30 million. Such higher numbers of cannabis consumers - given a frequent bias towards underreporting - is possible; given strong regional differences in the levels of abuse of cocaine, particularly the very low levels in Asia, the estimated total number of cocaine abusers resulting from simple exptrapolation, however, is likely to be too high. While estimates for hallucinogens and ATS are reasonable, the extrapolated estimate for sedative-type substances -given the sample of countries providing figures - is likely to be on the high side. U N D C P 9