Global availability, coverage and accessibility of drug-related treatment varies across intervention types.Not all types of pharmacological treatment, psychosocial interventions and rehabilitation and aftercare are available in all countries. Opioid agonist maintenance therapy and opioid antagonist…
Data on specific population groups remain limited.The available information suggests higher levels of drug use, drug use disorders and injecting drug use among sex workers, people experiencing homelessness and those with severe mental illness compared with the general population, while these tend…
Drug use patterns vary significantly by age, with adolescents showing use levels comparable to or higher than the general population, for most substances.Globally, the use of amphetamines, cocaine and "ecstasy" is similar or higher among adolescents aged 15-16 than among the general population aged…
Men continue to make up the majority of people who use drugs, but gender differences vary by drug and region.In 2024, about three quarters of people who used drugs in the past year were men, though the share of women varies substantially by region and drug type. For example, only 8 per cent of…
Data show a growing importance of 3,4-MDP-2-P methyl glycidic acid related substances among “ecstasy” precursors and an ongoing concentration of “ecstasy” precursor seizures in Europe.Historically, 3,4-MDP-2-P, also known as piperonyl methyl ketone (PMK), has been the primary precursor chemical…
“Ecstasy” seizures reached record levels in 2024, surpassing pre-COVID-19 pandemic highs.The quantity of “ecstasy” (MDMA) seized worldwide increased by 13 percent from 2023 to 2024, more than doubling compared with 2021 levels following a pandemic-related decline.Increases were widespread in 2024…
Most “ecstasy” found in the global market continues to be produced in Western and Central Europe.Data suggest that the bulk of the "ecstasy" is still being produced in Europe, with 82 per cent of reported countries of transit or departure of seized shipments around the world being from the region.…
The use of “ecstasy” remains highest in high income countries and parts of Asia.Global prevalence of "ecstasy" use in the past year is estimated at 0.4% of the general population aged 15-64 years with higher values among males (0.54%) than among females (0.26%) although the difference is not as…
The subregion with the highest annual prevalence of use of "ecstasy" globally is Australia and New Zealand where "ecstasy" is mostly used in capsules and crystal form.In Australia, after a decline in the use and availability of "ecstasy" since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, use and…
The “ecstasy” market remains concentrated in Europe (mainly Western and Central Europe)The use of “ecstasy” is relatively high in Western and Central Europe with nearly 4 million of people estimated to have used the substance in the past year in 2024. In contrast, the estimated number of users was…
Non-traditional cocaine markets in Africa, Asia and some subregions in Europe are rapidly expanding as shown by demand and supply indicators.Given the population density in these regions, even a small increase in prevalence could translate in a large number of new persons using cocaine.While global…
Africa has increasingly become a transit and destination region for cocaine trafficking and use.Cocaine seizures in Africa have increased over 20-fold between 2015 and 2024 and an increasing number of seizures implicate African countries as transit or destination. In 2023, seizures en route to…
