UN gets SMART on drugs

UNODC's  2008  Global  Assessment of synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and  ecstasy  reveals  that  the  use  of  these drugs, on an annual basis, exceeds  that  of  cocaine  and  heroin  combined. 

The global market for amphetaminetype stimulants (ATS) is estimated at US$65 billion, wholesale and retail combined, the report said.

But the use of synthetic drugs has declined in North America, Europe and Oceania, the report said.

The report said Asia, with its huge population and increasing affluence, is driving demand, saying that in 2006 almost half of Asian countries reported an increase in methamphetamine  use. 

Launching the report in Bangkok, the  Executive  Director of UNODC, Antonio  Maria  Costa, said "synthetic drugs are falsely perceived as being Harmless.

" This leads to benign neglect in attitudes, policy and enforcement that only slows down remedial action".

Costa said some countries are in denial about the problem and do not even report their situation to the United Nations.

"Others are illequipped to fight the pandemic, in terms of information gathering, regulatory frameworks,  law  enforcement, forensics, or health care", Costa said.

Costa was in Bangkok to launch UNODC's SMART programme (Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends).

The programme, which is starting operations in Asia, is designed to reduce the world's information deficit about amphetaminetype stimulants.

This will be done by working with governments - particularly in vulnerable regions - to improve their  capacity  to  gather,  analyse and share information on ATS products, their use, and on trafficking routes.

"This should give us a better sense of how big the problem of synthetic drugs  really  is,  and  what  more can be done to deal with it in terms of prevention, treatment and law enforcement", said Mr. Costa.

The 2008 Global ATS assessment is available at www.unodc.org