The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released their latest World Drug Report Thursday from Vienna stating that global drug use has stabilized, but 200,000 people suffered drug-related deaths in the last year.
“I urge the international community to strengthen its efforts to confront illicit drugs as an integral element in building a safe and sustainable future,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, marking the launch of the report.
In 2012 between 162 million people and 324 million people worldwide, corresponding to 3.5 percent and 7 percent, between the ages 15-64 had used an illicit drug at least once in the previous year. About 16 million were regular problem drug users and 39 million were dependent drug users.
The problem drugs mostly resulting in disease and drug-related deaths are opiates and opiods. Afghanistan produces the largest opium poppy cultivation areas at 154,000 hectares (380,542 acres) in 2012 and 209,000 hectares (516,450 acres) in 2013.
The report found a decrease in global cannabis, mainly representing the decrease in Western and Central Europe, whereas the United States experienced in increase in cannabis use because of its perceived health benefits.
UNODC Executive Director, Yury Fedotov, discussed the health and human rights of all drug users, urging an international commitment to the sustainable success in drug control. Controlling substances can help provision medical needs while preventing the misuse of those substances, he said.
“There remain serious gaps in service provision. In recent years, only one in six drug users globally has had access to or received drug dependence treatment services each year,” Fedotov said at the launch of the report.