I am proud to present the 2024 edition of UNODC’s flagship World Drug Report, which delves into the major developments in the manufacture and trafficking of drugs, and examines patterns of drug use and related harms.
This comprehensive report lays bare the ever-evolving challenges of the world drug problem, and paints a stark picture of suffering, death and violence linked to the illicit drug trade. Organized criminal groups are exploiting instability and gaps in the rule of law to expand their drug trafficking operations, while damaging fragile ecosystems and perpetuating other forms of organized crime such as human trafficking. Cocaine production is reaching record highs, with production climbing in Latin America, coupled with drug use and markets expanding in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Synthetic drugs are also inflicting great harm on people and communities, caused by an increase in methamphetamine trafficking in South-West Asia, the Near and Middle East, and South-Eastern Europe, and fentanyl overdoses in North America. Meanwhile, the opium ban imposed by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan is having a significant impact on farmers’ livelihoods and incomes, necessitating a sustainable humanitarian response.
This year’s report features special chapters dedicated to the impact of the opium ban in Afghanistan, the disproportionate use of synthetic drugs among women who face limited access to treatment, the nexus between drug trafficking and organized crime in the Golden Triangle, and an overview of regulatory and legislative changes concerning cannabis and psychedelics.
For the first time, the report also includes a chapter on the right to health and drug use, which we hope will provide a starting point for future discussions on fulfilling this right and assessing progress. Far too many people affected by the world drug problem are denied their right to health, particularly women who continue to face stigma and discrimination for drug use. The right to heath is universal to all, and people who use drugs must enjoy that right, along with all members of their communities.
This means providing drug treatment, care, and services that are comprehensive, effective, voluntary, and available to all without discrimination, and that preserve people’s dignity. Alongside health interventions, the report calls for more strategic justice interventions that target the illicit drug market. The latest data shows that 7 million people were in contact with the law for drug-related offenses, yet two thirds of them were for drug use or possession for use. Justice responses must focus on the top-level actors that are critical in fuelling the drug trade, looking to hold traffickers accountable while helping drug users with treatment. In addition, long-term efforts to dismantle drug economies must provide socioeconomic opportunities and alternatives, which go beyond merely replacing illicit crops or incomes and instead address the root structural causes behind illicit crop cultivation, such as poverty, underdevelopment, and insecurity.
They must also target the factors driving the recruitment of young people into the drug trade, who are at particular risk of synthetic drug use. In shedding light on these patterns and trends, I hope this report will serve as a crucial resource and evidence-base for policymakers, researchers, and all stakeholders in shaping policy responses and mobilizing action to address the challenges posed by the world drug problem, as we work to safeguard the health, safety, and dignity of all. Ghada Waly, Executive Director United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
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