Record 29 million people drug-dependent worldwide; heroin use up sharply : UN report

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 23 (APP): The number of people suffering from drug use disorders has increased disproportionally for the first time in six years in 2014, while the number of people who used at least one drug stayed at five per cent of the adult population, according to the annual report prepared by the United Nations.

The World Drug Report 2016, which examines the health impact of using opiates, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and new psychoactive substances (NPS), was released today by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June.

It also came in the wake of the UN General Assembly Special Sessionpolicies and programmes.

UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov said it is critical that the international community come together to ensure the commitments adopted at the UNGASS are met and the World Drug Report offers an important tool to assist with this task.

By providing a comprehensive overview of major developments in drug markets, trafficking routes and the health impact of drug use, the 2016 World Drug Report highlights support for the comprehensive, balanced and integrated rights-based approaches as reflected in the outcome document which emerged from the UNGASS, he said in a statement.

While drug-related mortality has remained stable around the world, there were still around 207,000 deaths reported in 2014, an unacceptably high number of deaths which are preventable if adequate interventions are in place.

Heroin use and related overdose deaths