28.06.2012
According to the UNODOC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) report dedicated to the International Day against Drug Abuse and Drug Trafficking (26 June), drugs made from hemp materials, such as marijuana and hashish are the most popular among drug users around the world.
Despite the excuse that the exact number of cannabinoid drug user cannot be determined, currently this figure varies from 119 to 224 million people.
A solid second place in the ranking of the drugs’ popularity of submitted by UN, stimulants such as ecstasy and amphetamines take place. It is also difficult to determine the exact number of consumers, because the spread of these drugs is carried out in small quantities. However, it is known that the total amount of stimulants arrested in 2010 is twice more than in 2008.
However, although the total number of drug addicts during the period has not changed significantly. The last monitoring, conducted in 2010 showed that 5% of the planet’s population which is about 230 million people, used drugs at least once. 0.6% of the Earth’s population (about 27 million people) are officially registered drug addicts. Amont of deaths caused by drugs in one way or another varies and lie in the interval between 99 and 253 thousand people.
According to UN experts, largest drug markets are located in North and South America. Only the structure of drug market has changed: cocaine use has decreased due to the new drugs developed from medicinal substances.
"The year 2050 will be marked by the increase of about a quarter of drug addicts, most of whom are young people. Partly this will be due to the rapid growth of the urban population "- the report says.
Uneven distribution of drugs is associated with an economic component. Thus, the number of addicts has remained relatively constant in the developed countries and grew rapidly in developing countries. This is due largely to the fact that the leadership of these states has much less resources to effectively fight drug addiction and run preventive programs.
