About 284 mln people used drugs worldwide in 2020, UN report.

Some 284 million people between the age of 15 and 24 used drugs worldwide in 2020, a 26% increase over the previous decade, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed in a new report.

The report, titled World Drug Report 2022, pointed out that young people are using more drugs, with use levels today in many countries higher than with the previous generation.

Globally, 11.2 million people were estimated to inject drugs, around half of whom were living with hepatitis C; 1.4 million with HIV, and 1.2 million with both.

In Africa and Latin America, those under 35 represent most of the people being treated for drug use disorders.

Opium production worldwide grew seven per cent between 2020 and 2021 to 7,930 tons - predominantly due to an increase in production in Afghanistan, the report said. However, the global area under opium poppy cultivation fell by 16 per cent to 246,800 ha in the same period.

Legalized cannabis use in some countries and states appears to have accelerated daily use and related health impacts, according to the report.

It also details the environmental consequences of the illicit drugs trade, the expansion of synthetic drugs to new markets, and an all-time high in cocaine production.

"Numbers for the manufacturing and seizures of many illicit drugs are hitting record highs, even as global emergencies are deepening vulnerabilities," UNODC chief Ghada Waly said in a statement.

At the same time, misperceptions regarding the magnitude of the problem and the associated harms, are depriving people of care and treatment and driving young people towards harmful behaviours.

In North America, legalized cannabis on a state level - especially new potent products containing elevated levels of high-inducing THC - appears to have increased daily usage, particularly among young adults.

In addition to increasing tax revenues, it has also caused a reported surge among people with psychiatric disorders, increased suicides and hospitalizations while generally reducing possession arrests.

In 2020, global cocaine manufacturing grew 11 per cent from the previous year to 1,982 tons and, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, seizures increased to a record 1,424 tons.

Nearly 90 per cent of cocaine seized last year was trafficked via land and/or sea, reaching regions beyond the regular markets of North America and Europe.

Methamphetamine (or meth) trafficking continued to expand geographically, with 117 countries reporting seizures between 2016 and...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT