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”.…
Methamphetamine and other ATS remain the leading substances for which people seek drug treatment in East and South-East Asia.The number of people receiving treatment for ATS use, mainly methamphetamine, has remained stable or declined in the majority of reporting countries – with the exception of…
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…
The legalization of cannabis for non-medical use has followed a continuum driven by the progressive normalization of its use – a process that has also influenced developments elsewhereAs of December 2025, Canada, Uruguay and 28 jurisdictions in the United States had enacted legal provisions, either…
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 –…
Limited data suggest that cannabis use in Africa is higher than the global average, with large differences between women and men.Limited data suggest that cannabis use in Africa is higher among the general population aged 15-64 than the global average – driven by relatively high prevalence among…
The non-medical use of cannabis in Australia has remained broadly stable, while trends in New Zealand have levelled off after earlier growth.In Australia, cannabis use has remained relatively stable over the past 2 decades. However, between 2019 and 2022/23 cannabis use increased among women (…
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…
Cocaine use continues to increase in Western and Central Europe as well as South-Eastern Europe, according to several indicators of use and harm.In 2024, demand-side and supply-side domestic market indicators showed diverging trends in Western and Central Europe, suggesting localized disruptions…
In Australia, multiple drug-related indicators show an increase in cocaine use and associated harm between 2010 and 2021, particularly among men. However, cocaine still plays a relatively small role in overall drug-related harm, with only 2.7 per cent of people in drug-related treatment reporting…
