The type of opioid that is most used non-medically varies across regions and countries.With the highest population globally, Asia is also the region with the highest number of people who use opioids.The type of opioid used differs across regions, with opiates such as heroin dominating in Asia and…
The non-medical use and trafficking of tramadol remain most concentrated in North Africa, West and Central Africa, and the Near and Middle East and South-West Asia, though there remains significant localized non-medical use in other regions.There remains a significant data gap on tramadol use and…
The health harms posed by the non-medical use of opioids remains high in North America, but have started to decline in late 2023 and in 2024.Opioid overdose deaths reached historical highs in the United States of America and Canada between 2021 and 2023 but have since started to decline, returning…
In East and South-East Asia, limited regular data collection makes it difficult to assess long-term trends in opioid use. However, data on people registered for drug use and people in drug treatment indicate a decline in opioid (mainly heroin) use over the past 10 to 15 years.In most of East and…
Opioid-related harms, measured as new people entering treatment, have declined in Europe.Although the share of people in treatment for opioid use disorders remains substantial in Europe, the number of people entering treatment for the first time has decreased.In Eastern Europe and South-Eastern…
The use of buprenorphine and methadone for medical purposes continues to expandMethadone and buprenorphine are the main substances used in substitution treatment for opioid dependent persons worldwide. Availability of both substances for medical use rose 10-fold over the last two decades and…
Opium production and opiate seizures are closely linked, but stockpiling has partly mitigated recent supply shocks.Opiate seizures have generally moved in parallel with opium production over time, but production has been far more volatile. Following the transfer of power in Afghanistan in 2021 and…
Opium prices show diverging trends, reflecting shifting supply dynamics across producing countries.Opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar, increased by 17 per cent in 2025 and more than doubled since 2020, with increases reported across all poppy producing states; this was mirrored by a similar…
Opioids and cannabis account for the greatest overall harm globally, though the severity of impacts differs.Combined evidence from country rankings of most harmful drugs and global indicators on deaths, drug use disorders and people in drug-related treatment point to opioids and cannabis resulting…
Globally, the majority of people in drug-related treatment continue to be men, although the proportion of women varies by region, subregion and primary drug.Approximately one in five people in drug-related treatment worldwide is a woman.The lowest proportions of women in drug-related treatment are…
Polydrug use is common among people in drug treatment, with patterns varying by region.According to the limited data available on people in drug treatment, between 40 and 50 per cent of persons in drug-related treatment are polydrug users, with lower levels in Asia (22 per cent) and almost no…
Polydrug use poses significant risks and is more common among people with drug use disorders.No consensus definition of polydrug use currently exists but it can be generally understood as taking two or more drugs together or in sequence (intentionally or unintentionally), with both forms increasing…
