NCJ Number
191393
Date Published
2001
Length
282 pages
Annotation
This 2001 annual report presents statistical estimates of illicit drug production, trafficking, and consumption throughout the world, with a special section that discusses clandestine synthetic drugs and the main centers of illicit opium production (Afghanistan and Myanmar).
Abstract
Regarding production, the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the coca bush are mostly concentrated in the territories of two and three countries respectively. The year 2000 recorded a decline in global opium production and a stabilization in coca production. There was no reliable data on global cannabis cultivation, but 1999 seizure data showed a drastic increase that could possibly reflect an increase in global cannabis production. Based on 1999 seizure data, about one-third of all drugs were seized in North America, a quarter in western Europe, a fifth in Asia, and a tenth in South America; Africa accounted for 6 percent. Regarding consumption estimates, the information provided by member states to the United Nations International Drug Control Program (UNDCP) was heterogenous in terms of quality and reliability. Detailed information was available from countries in North America, a number of countries in Europe, some countries in South and Central America, a few countries in the Oceania region, and a limited number of countries in Asia and in Africa. The UNDCP estimates 180 million people consume illicit drugs. This includes 144 million for cannabis, 29 million for amphetamine-type stimulants, 14 million for cocaine, and 13.5 million for opiates (9 million for heroin). The strongest increases recorded in 1999 were for cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants. Extensive tables and figures