Trivia: Illegal Drug Trade

In March 2005, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) released its 2004 Annual Report. Some details on illegal drugs from the five world regions:

The Americas

"The North American region is, collectively, the largest market in the world for illicit drugs. Large-scale trafficking and illicit manufacture of drugs are also a grave concern, and the abuse of misuse of prescription drugs appears to be a growing phenomenon. … The United States [is] the world's largest single market for illicit drugs …"

Europe

"… (T)he Baltic States and the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] member states have the highest growth rate of HIV cases among injecting drug abusers. About 80-90 per cent of new HIV cases in these countries are the result of injecting drug abuse, and the prevalence of injecting drug abuse among the adult population (persons 15-64 years old) is estimated to be as high as 2.5 per cent in Estonia, 2 per cent in the Russian Federation and 1.2 percent in Ukraine."

Oceania

"Australia and New Zealand account for the majority of the drug and precursor seizures made in Oceania. There has been a considerable increase in the manufacture and abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants in those two countries."

Africa

"Cannabis remains the major drug of concern throughout Africa. In addition, trafficking in and abuse of cocaine, heroin and amphetamine-type stimulants are increasing in many countries in the region. The practice of injecting drug use, which is spreading in a number of African countries, could exacerbate by other means the already severe HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa."

"The uncontrolled sale (without appropriate prescription) in licensed pharmacies of prescription drugs containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the proliferation of illegal retail pharmaceutical outlets and diversion from licit distribution channels of such products into street markets are all problems that continue to persist in many countries in Africa."

Asia

"Injecting drug abusers who share syringes continue to account for the largest percentage of new HIV/AIDS cases in China and Viet Nam. The rate for sharing syringes has been reported to be as high as 50 per cent in parts of Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand."

"In Central Asia, the number of HIV/AIDS-infected people continues to rise, fuelled by injecting drug use … While approximately 10 per cent of HIV/AIDS infections worldwide are caused by injecting drug use, this mode of transmission accounts for 60-90 per cent of new cases in Central Asia."

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