World Drug Report 2022, UNODC
Recently the “United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)” has released the World Drug Report 2022.
Key Findings of the report:
- During the year 2020, around 284 million people aged 15-64 used drugs worldwide. This is 26% higher than the previous decade.
- However, globally, the number of women using drugs is small. Despite this, the rate of increase in substance abuse among women is increasing more rapidly than in men.
- There has been a steady increase in drug production and trafficking.
- Economies dependent on illicit drugs can flourish mainly in countries with situations of internal conflict and weak legal systems. This could lead to a longer period of conflict in the country.
- The conflict situation in the Middle East and South-East Asia acts as a catalyst for the manufacture of synthetic drugs.
Environmental Impact:
- Deforestation is done for the illegal cultivation of coca. In addition, a large amount of waste is generated during the manufacturing of synthetic narcotics.
- Such waste can have a direct negative impact on soil, water and air. Also, it can indirectly affect living beings, animals and food chains.
According to this report, India is one of the largest opium markets in the world in terms of consumers. Also, there is a possibility of increasing its supply here. The smuggling of opium produced in Afghanistan is likely to increase. This can lead to an increase in the level of trafficking and its associated organized crime.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
- It’s headquarter is in Vienna.
- It was established in the year 1997 to fight against illegal narcotics, and the international crime associated with it.
- It was formed by merging the United Nations Drug Control Program and the Center for International Crime Prevention.
Source – The Hindu
