Thursday, 24 June 2010
Synthetic drugs popular as use of opiates wanes - UN
Opium production in Afghanistan is expected to fall sharply this year.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also found that cocaine consumption has fallen significantly in the US in recent years.
But the number of cocaine users in Europe has doubled, it says.
"People snorting coke in Europe are killing the pristine forests of the Andean countries and corrupting governments in West Africa", UNODC director Antonio Maria Costa said.
Shifting consumption Developing countries are also seeing a rise in drug use, with heroin consumption up in eastern Africa and cocaine use up in West Africa and South America.
Demand for the synthetic drug ecstasy is falling or levelling off in Europe.
But the drug is becoming more popular in Asia.
"We will not solve the world drug problem by shifting consumption form the developed to the developing world", Mr Costa said.
In Europe the number of cocaine users has doubled to around four million in the last decade. The market is now worth $34bn, almost as much as that in North America.
However, world cocaine production has fallen by 12% to 18% in the past three years and the North American market is shrinking, thanks in part to police crackdowns in Colombia, a producer country, and transit country Mexico.
UNODC also found a downward trend in global heroin consumption.
It expects opium production to fall steeply in 2010 because of a blight that could wipe out a quarter of Afghanistan's poppy crop.
Drug use is moving away from cocaine and opiates and towards synthetic drugs such as amphetamines, the UN says.
In its World Drug Report it says it expects that soon there will be more people using synthetic drugs than opium, heroin and cocaine together. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also found that cocaine consumption has fallen significantly in the US in recent years.
But the number of cocaine users in Europe has doubled, it says.
The shift in demand has led to South American drug cartels establishing new routes through West Africa.
Trafficking is causing instability in many developing countries, particularly in Africa and Latin America, the report says. "People snorting coke in Europe are killing the pristine forests of the Andean countries and corrupting governments in West Africa", UNODC director Antonio Maria Costa said.
Shifting consumption Developing countries are also seeing a rise in drug use, with heroin consumption up in eastern Africa and cocaine use up in West Africa and South America.
Demand for the synthetic drug ecstasy is falling or levelling off in Europe.
But the drug is becoming more popular in Asia.
"We will not solve the world drug problem by shifting consumption form the developed to the developing world", Mr Costa said.
In Europe the number of cocaine users has doubled to around four million in the last decade. The market is now worth $34bn, almost as much as that in North America.
However, world cocaine production has fallen by 12% to 18% in the past three years and the North American market is shrinking, thanks in part to police crackdowns in Colombia, a producer country, and transit country Mexico.
UNODC also found a downward trend in global heroin consumption.
It expects opium production to fall steeply in 2010 because of a blight that could wipe out a quarter of Afghanistan's poppy crop.
The Slits - Live at Primavera Sound 2010
The Slits, known for their fusion of punk and reggae sounds are one of the most significant female punk-rock bands in history. Both legendary and somewhat notorious there is a satiric, tongue-in-cheek quality to their songs. The Slits are loud, brash, bold and unrepentant. They never compromised their image or stance and their very presence threatened those that considered rock to be a male-only pursuit. In the late 1970's and early 1980's the band toured with legendary punks such as The Clash, The Buzzcocks and The Sex Pistols and they went on to influence many generations including The Gossip and Sonic Youth whom they played with in 2007. For all their originality and large cultural influence and contribution, the Slits have always remained proud outsiders and underground rebels.
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