The number of people who suffer from drug use disorders has skyrocketed to 39.5 million. A 45% increase over 10 years. Cocaine demand and supply is booming across the globe. With methamphetamine trafficking expanding passed established markets, says a United Nations report.

The global estimate of people who inject drugs in 2021 was 13.2 million: 18% higher than previously estimated. Over 296 million people worldwide, used drugs in 2021, an increase of 23% over the past decade. This is according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in its annual Word Drug Report.

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Only one in five people who suffer from drug use disorders were in treatment for drug use in 2021. Widening disparities in access to treatment has affected these numbers.

“The world is currently experiencing a prolonged surge in both supply and demand of cocaine, which is now being felt across the globe and is likely to spur the development of new markets beyond the traditional confines,” the UNODC report said.

Youth are the most vulnerable population to drug use. They are also severely affected by substance abuse in several regions. In Africa, says the report, 70% of people in treatment are under the age of 35.

“We are witnessing a continued rise in the number of people suffering from drug use disorders worldwide, while treatment is failing to reach all of those who need it,” says UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly.

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Cocaine seizures have however grown rapidly compared to production, containing the total supply to some extent says the report.

“We need to step up responses against drug trafficking rings that are exploiting conflicts and global crises to expand illicit drug cultivation and production, especially of synthetic drugs, fueling illicit markets and causing greater harm to people and communities,” says Waly in reaction to the report’s findings.

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Drug-related disparities and inequalities 

Many people in impoverished and vulnerable populations – like the tri-border area between Colombia, Peru and Brazil – are trapped by rampant drug-related crimes. The UN’s report says their remote locations make it extremely difficult for them to benefit from the law or treatment services.

“Fentanyl has drastically altered the opioid market in North America with dire consequences. In 2021, the majority of the approximately 90,000 opioid related overdose deaths in North America involved illegally manufactured fentanyls,” reveals the UNODC.

Another instance where drugs are deeply entwined is in Afghanistan. The report indicates that the opium harvest in 2023 might see a drastic drop following the national drug ban. Early figures have shown a reduction in poppy cultivation.

A possible significant reduction in illicit opium cultivation would beneift Afghanistan and the rest of the world. However, notes the UN, it would be at the expense of the many farmers who heavily rely on this income.