Voice of America
27 Jun 2022, 11:36 GMT+10
vienna, austria - The war in Ukraine could allow illegal drug production to flourish, while the opium market's future hinges on the fate of crisis-wracked Afghanistan, the United Nations warned Monday.
Previous experience from the Middle East and Southeast Asia suggests conflict zones can act as a 'magnet' for making synthetic drugs, which can be manufactured anywhere, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its annual report. 'This effect may be greater when the conflict area is near large consumer markets.'
The UNODC said the number of dismantled amphetamine laboratories in Ukraine rose from 17 in 2019 to 79 in 2020, the highest number of seized laboratories reported in any country in 2020.
Ukraine's capacity to produce synthetic drugs could grow as the war continues, it added.
'You don't have police going around and stopping laboratories' in conflict zones, UNODC expert Angela Me told AFP.
The report also noted that conflict could shift and disrupt drug trafficking routes, with suggestions that trafficking in Ukraine has fallen since early 2022.
The situation in Afghanistan - which produced 86% of the world's opium in 2021 - will shape the development of the opiate market, the U.N. report added.
It said the country's humanitarian crisis could incentivize illegal opium poppy cultivation, even after the Taliban authorities banned the practice in April.
'Changes in opium production in Afghanistan will have implications for opiate markets in virtually all regions of the world,' the U.N. said.
An estimated 284 million people used a drug in 2021, or one in every 18 people worldwide aged between 15 and 64, the report found.
The figure was 26% higher than in 2010, with population growth only partially accounting for the change.
Cocaine production climbed to a new record in 2020 at 1,982 tons.
Although most drug consumers were men, Me said women heavily used amphetamine type stimulants and were under-represented in treatment.
'For them, it's a double stigma. Going there is also to expose themselves,' she told AFP. 'We have put a recommendation on safety and how to ensure that the centers have the possibility to welcome children.'
The UNODC report was based on information gathered from member states, its own sources, and analyzing institutional reports, the media and open-source material.
Get a daily dose of International Travel News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to International Travel News.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rebounded Tuesday with all the major indices gaining ground. Markets in the UK, Europe and Canada...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Financial markets kicked off the week on a cautious note as President Donald Trump rolled out a fresh round...
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: At a two-day summit over the weekend, the BRICS bloc of emerging economies issued a joint declaration condemning...
LONDON, U.K.: This week, BP appointed Simon Henry, former Shell finance chief, to its board as a non-executive director effective September...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
PARIS, France: A strike by French air traffic controllers demanding improved working conditions caused significant disruptions during...
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): A special 'Swarnim Bharat Yatra' tourist train under the Bharat Gaurav scheme will depart on August...
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 10 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the responsibility...
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 10 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that he stands firmly...
AJMAN, 10th July, 2025 (WAM) -- The Ajman Department of Tourism Development (ADTD) has honoured the winners of the Tourism Innovator...