Global markets
for cocaine, opiates and cannabis decline in 2009
Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot
Accra, July 1, Ghanadot -
The World Drug Report 2009,
launched late June in Vienna by
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), shows
that global markets for cocaine, opiates and cannabis are
steadily in decline, while
production and use of synthetic drugs is feared to be
increasing in the developing world.
The 314-page Report, prepared for World Drug Day on 26 June,
was launched in Washington D.C. by UNODC Executive Director
Antonio Maria Costa, and the newly appointed Director of the
US Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske
who called for greater investment in drug treatment
and crime control.
Opium cultivation in Afghanistan, where 93 per cent of the
world's opium is grown, declined by 19 per cent in 2008.
Colombia, which produces half of the world's cocaine, saw an
18 per cent decline in cultivation and a staggering 28 per
cent decline in production compared to 2007. Global coca
production, at 845 tons, is at a five year low, despite some
increases in cultivation in Peru and Bolivia.
Ghana which used to be a major cocaine transit point in West
Africa has put in place policies and programmes to check the
trade.
Just last week, a Costa Rican businessman described as the
chief baron of the drug trade in West and South Africa was
picked up in a joint effort by anti-narcotic agencies in
Ghana, the USA and Togo.
Cannabis remains the most widely cultivated and used drug
around the world, although estimates are less precise.
Data also show that it is more harmful than commonly
believed. The average THC content (the harmful component) of
hydroponic marijuana in North America almost doubled in the
past decade. This has major health implications as evidenced
by a significant rise in the number of people seeking
treatment.
In terms of consumption, the world's biggest markets for
cannabis (North America, Oceania, and Western Europe),
cocaine (North America and some parts of Western Europe) and
opiates (South East Asia and Western Europe) are all flat or
down. Data is less clear for developing countries.
News on synthetic drugs - amphetamines, methamphetamine and
ecstasy - is mixed. Use has levelled off in developed
countries. In the developing world, there is concern that
production and consumption may be growing, although the data
is limited.
What was once a cottage industry has become big business.
Industrial-sized laboratories in South East Asia -
particularly in the Greater Mekong Sub-region - are
producing massive quantities of methamphetamine tablets, and
crystal meth and other substances like Ketamine.
Some countries in the European Union are the main suppliers
of ecstasy; Canada has become a major trafficking hub for
meth and ecstasy.
Use of the amphetamine Captagon has sky-rocketed in the near
and Middle East. In 2007, Saudi Arabia seized one third of
all amphetamine group substances in the world, greater than
the combined total of China and the United States.
"The $50 billion global cocaine market is undergoing seismic
shifts," said Mr. Costa. "Purity levels and seizures (in
main consumer countries) are down, prices are up, and
consumption patterns are in flux. This may help explain the
gruesome upsurge of violence in countries like Mexico. In
Central America, cartels are fighting for a shrinking
market," he said.
In West Africa, a decline in seizures seems to reflect lower
cocaine flows after five years of rapid growth.
"International efforts are paying off," said Mr. Costa. Yet
drug-related violence and political instability continue,
especially in Guinea-Bissau.
"As long as demand for drugs persists, weak countries will
always be targeted by traffickers. If Europe really wants to
help Africa, it should curb its appetite for cocaine," said
the UN's top drug control official.
While 41 per cent of the world's cocaine is being seized
(mostly in Colombia), only one fifth (19 per cent) of all
opiates are being intercepted.
Iran and Pakistan are most badly affected by drug
trafficking, and they also seize the most opiates (opium,
morphine and heroin). In 2007, Iran seized 84 per cent of
the world's opium, and 28 per cent of all heroins. Pakistan
ranked second in terms of heroin (and morphine) seizures.
To improve information sharing and carry out joint
counter-narcotics operations, UNODC has developed a
Triangular Initiative among Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.
"The more opium is seized in Afghanistan's neighbourhood,
the fewer heroins on the streets of Europe. And vice versa,
the less heroin is consumed in the West, the more stability
there will be in West Asia," said Mr. Costa who will bring
this message to a G8 ministerial outreach conference on
Afghanistan in Trieste on 27 June.
No trade-off between public health and public security.
The Report pays special attention to the impact of
drug-related crime, and what to do about it.
In the Preface to the report, Mr. Costa explores the debate
over repealing drug controls. He acknowledges that controls
have generated an illicit black market of macro-economic
proportions that uses violence and corruption. Yet, he warns
that legalizing drugs as a way of removing this threat - as
some have suggested - would be "an historic mistake."
"Illicit drugs pose a danger to health. That's why drugs
are, and must remain, controlled," said the head of UNODC.
"Proponents of legalization can't have it both ways," said
Mr. Costa. "A free market for drugs would unleash a drug
epidemic, while a regulated one would create a parallel
criminal market. Legalization is not a magic wand that would
suppress both mafias and drug abuse," said Mr. Costa.
"Societies should not have to choose between protecting
public health or public security: they can, and should do
both," he said. He therefore called for more resources for
drug prevention and treatment, and stronger measures to
fight drug-related crime.
The Director of the US Office of National Drug Control
Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, said: "The World Drug Report 2009
demonstrates that drugs are a problem that touches every
nation. All of us have a responsibility to address drug
abuse within our societies. Internationally, the Obama
Administration is committed to expanding demand reduction
initiatives to ensure that all those struggling to overcome
addiction, especially in developing countries, have access
to effective treatment programs. We have learned a great
deal about the disease of drug addiction and know that
treatment works. Through comprehensive and effective
enforcement, education, prevention, and treatment we will be
successful in reducing illicit drug use and its devastating
consequences."
How to improve drug control
The Report provides a number of recommendations on how to
improve drug control.
First, drug use should be treated as an illness. "People who
take drugs need medical help, not criminal retribution,"
said Mr. Costa. He appealed for universal access to drug
treatment. Since people with serious drug problems provide
the bulk of drug demand, treating this problem is one of the
best ways of shrinking the market.
Second, he called for "an end to the tragedy of cities out
of control." In the same way that most illicit cultivation
takes place in regions out of government control, most drugs
are sold in city neighbourhoods where public order has
broken down.
"Housing, jobs, education, public services, and recreation
can make communities less vulnerable to drugs and crime,"
said Mr. Costa.
Third, governments must enforce international agreements
against organized crime. International crime-fighting
instruments like the United Nations Conventions against
organized crime and corruption are not being used.
"Therefore, too many states have crime problems of their own
making," said the head of UNODC.
In
particular, he said "current instruments to tackle money
laundering and cyber-crime are inadequate."
Fourth, he called for greater efficiency in law enforcement.
He encouraged police to focus on the small number of high
profile, high volume, and violent criminals instead of the
large volumes of petty offenders. In some countries, the
ratio of people imprisoned for drug use compared to drug
trafficking is 5:1.
"This is a waste of money for the police and a waste of
lives for those thrown in jail. Go after the piranhas, not
the minnows," said Mr. Costa.
In an effort to improve transparency and the quality of drug
data, this year UNODC has introduced ranges into
country-level estimates used in the World Drug Report.
For many regions and for some drugs (like ATS and cannabis)
the ranges are relatively wide since information is more
limited. "I urge governments to gather more information.
This will provide a clearer picture of drug trends, and, as
a result, improve drug control," said Mr. Costa.
Ghanadot
