2nd July, 2005

Two hundred million people - as much as five per cent of the global population aged between 15 and 64 - are using illicit drugs creating a worldwide retail market estimated to be as high as $US322 billion, according to the United Nation’s World Drug Report released earlier this week.

The report shows that the vast majority of illicit drug users - some 160.9 million - use cannabis. Some 26.2 million use amphetamines - slightly lower than last year’s figure - while 15.9 per cent use opiates such as heroin, 13.7 million use cocaine and 7.9 million use ecstasy. Both the numbers of opiate and cocaine users rose slightly on last year’s figures.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said that while the abuse of synthetic drugs such as amphetamines, opiates and cocaine had all started to decline at least in some parts of the world, the consumption of cannabis remained “rampant”.

“I therefore invite all governments around the world to focus attention on this gateway drug which is, invariably, an introduction to other narcotics,” he said.

Figures for the year 2003 put the global retail market for illicit drugs at $US322 billion.

“Drug revenues account for 0.9 per cent of the global GDP,” said Mr Costa. “The challenge today is to fight the crime associated with trafficking while also protecting the health of our society against drugs.”

- DAVID ADAMS