As intensive methamphetamine use has increased in both Australia and New Zealand, associated health harms have also increased.In Australia, hospitalizations and the number of people in drug-related treatment related to methamphetamine use have increased over the long-term, although recent data…
Methamphetamine-related harms show mixed trends across North America.In Mexico, methamphetamine harms have increased in recent years, reflected in a growing number of people entering drug-related treatment for the substance – though recent data suggest possible signs of stabilization.In contrast,…
In Australia, past-year methamphetamine use has declined since 2004, but among people who still used the drug, there are signs of increases in intensive use patterns.A similar trend is observed in New Zealand, where the police characterize the methamphetamine market as saturated. Intensive use of…
Seven substances dominate the global availability of opioids under international control for medical consumption.Expressed in S-DDDs (defined daily doses for statistical purposes), methadone, followed by hydrocodone, fentanyl, buprenorphine, oxycodone, codeine (including preparations) and morphine…
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…
Similarly to most internationally controlled drugs, the use of NPS among adolescents is higher than among the general population, but the difference between adolescent boys and girlsis lower for NPS than for controlled drugs.Limited data suggest that NPS use is generally higher among school…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
