UN Drugs Agency Issues Warning on Synthetic Opioids
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) raised concerns about a new group of potent synthetic opioids known as nitazenes, which can be even stronger than fentanyl. These opioids have recently emerged in several wealthy countries, contributing to a rise in overdose fatalities, according to a press release from the Vienna-based agency.
Nitazenes have been detected in Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, prompting alerts from other organizations such as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).
The UNODC’s annual report highlighted a significant drop of 74 percent in global opium production in 2023, following the Taliban’s ban on opium in Afghanistan, its largest producer. With heroin purity expected to decline, there is a concern that heroin users might turn to other opioids, posing substantial health risks.
While heroin remains available, there have been cases linking overdose deaths to nitazenes, primarily sourced from China and sometimes mixed with heroin.
Meanwhile, the cocaine market continues to expand globally, reaching a record supply of over 2,700 tonnes in 2022. This growth extends beyond traditional markets like the US and Western and Central Europe, with increased trafficking observed in Africa.
Coca cultivation also increased by 12 percent between 2021 and 2022, primarily in the Andean region of the Americas.
Overall, the UNODC reported that nearly 292 million people — about 1 in 18 of the global population — used drugs in 2022, marking a 20 percent increase from a decade ago, partly due to population growth.
In terms of drug use, cannabis remained the most widely used globally in 2022, followed by opioids, amphetamine-type stimulants, cocaine, and ecstasy.
The agency noted that cannabis legalization in numerous US jurisdictions has led to increased harmful use and a broader range of cannabis products.
