The global numbers for drug users
According to the World Drug Report of 2011, the overall number of drug users appears to have increased over the last decade, from 180 to some 210million people (range: 149-272 million). However, when considering only ‘problem drug users’ – ie those who regularly use illicit substances and are dependent – the estimates range from 15 to 39 million people, equivalent to 0.3%-0.9% of the population aged 15-64.
The drug monster in South Asia
South Asia has been a traditional hotbed for the illicit trafficking of drugs. The strong nexus between the traffickers, the terrorist organisations and the money launderers, coupled with lax and corrupt surveillance and inadequate legal provisions have allowed this monster to have a strangle-hold on the belt extending from Southeast Asia to Central Asia.
The South Asian region is the principal transit route for psychotropic drugs on their way to various parts of the world. Heroin, cannabis and opium are the major drugs of abuse here.
Golden Triangle
The Golden Triangle, an area overlapping the mountains of four countries in
Southeast Asia, has been one of the world’s most extensive
opium-producing areas of the world since the 1920s. It consists of an area of
around 367,000 square miles across Burma, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
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Golden Crescent The Golden Crescent is Asia’s other principal area of illicit opium production located at the crossroads of Central, South, and Western Asia. The area overlaps three nations, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. While Afghanistan and Pakistan produce opium – Afghanistan is the world’s primary producer of opiates and hashish - Iran is a consumer and trans-shipment route.
(Sources : World Drug Report, Wikipedia
Article
courtesy: ‘Drug-trafficking in South Asia: A Profile’ by N.
Manoharan, Research Officer, IPCS)
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A
pharmacological agent with proven efficacy does not exist for treatment of
cocaine dependence. Cocaine is an alkaloid derived from the erythroxylon coca
leaf that is used as powder for intranasal or intravenous use or as crack, a
free-base form which is smoked. Cocaine dependence is a major public health
problem because its use can be associated with ...
