Age profiles of people in drug-related treatment vary widely across regions and subregions.Limited data suggest wide regional differences in the age distribution of people in treatment for drug use disorders.Globally, two main patterns emerge: in Central Asia and Transcaucasia, Western and Central…
In South-Eastern Europe, and Western and Central Europe, amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) use and health harm remain mainly linked to amphetamine and are relatively low compared to other regions.Amphetamines are the third most common stimulant drugs group in Europe after cocaine and “ecstasy”.…
ATS seizures reached a new record high in 2024, dominated by methamphetamine.
Availability of internationally controlled pharmaceutical opioids for medical use has stabilized in recent years.Availability of pharmaceutical opioids for medical use more than doubled between 1998 and 2024 – driven by a strong increase until 2013, followed by a decline and partial recovery in…
There remains a large discrepancy between the Global North and the Global South in the availability of internationally controlled pharmaceutical opioids for medical use - even though the gap is declining.Between 2015 and 2024, the per capita availability of pharmaceutical opioids for medical use in…
Cultivation of cannabis continues in virtually every country worldwide, but certain dynamics may be discerned at global level.Trends reported on cannabis cultivation, as reported by Member States, suggest a prevalent increasing trend as of 2020, followed by a slowing down and apparent decline…
Cannabis herb seizures stabilized at high levels in 2024, with trafficking largely being intra-regional. But some new inter-regional flows, notably from North America, have emerged in recent years.Cannabis herb trafficking is global, with seizures suggesting a concentration in Africa and the…
The use of specific cultivation practices, in parallel with a shift toward indoor cannabis cultivation, has likely contributed to increasing cannabis herb potency, notably in industrialized countries. These developments, alongside an ever-broader variety of cannabis products, are likely being…
Cannabis resin seizures indicate a contracting market, as cannabis herb (with high levels of THC) is increasingly replacing cannabis resin.Cannabis resin seizures showed an upward trend until 2020 but have since fallen sharply across all regions – by more than 50 per cent globally – pointing to a…
Cannabis seizures stabilized at high levels in 2024.Global seizures of cannabis herb and resin stabilized at high levels in 2024, following increases over the 2019-2023 period. However, whether the higher seizures, and their possible impact on supply, may be linked to the reported decline in the…
Cannabis use has risen over the past 20 years in South and Central America but is showing signs of stabilizationSouth and Central America account for around 30 per cent of global cannabis herb seizures quantity. Over the past 20 years, use among the general population aged 15-64 has increased –…
Cannabis use in Europe stabilizes after long-term growth.Cannabis remains the most widely used drug in Europe, with an estimated 31 million users in 2024 (10 million women and 21 million men).In the majority of countries with available data, use has stabilized in recent years following long-term…
