Other psychoactive substances

The illicit drug trade touches millions of lives in both developed and developing countries. Its most negative impact is concentrated amongst the vulnerable and marginalized of our societies. The UN estimates that some 185 million people worldwide – 3.1 % of the global population or 4.3% of people aged 15 years and above - were consuming drugs in the late 1990s; this figure includes 147 million consuming cannabis, 33 million people consuming amphetamine-type stimulants (notably methamphetamine and amphetamine, with 7 million people using ecstasy), 13 million people taking cocaine and 13 million people abusing opiates, 9 million of whom are taking heroin. As drug users frequently take more than one substance, it should be noted that the total is not the sum of the individual drug categories.

Globally, 0.4% of deaths (0.2 million) and 0.8% of Disability Adjusted Life Years or DALY (11.2 million) are attributed to overall illicit drug use. Attributable burden is consistently several times higher among men than women. Illicit drugs account for the highest proportion of disease burden among low mortality, industrialized countries in the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean and European regions. In short, economic reliance on the drug trade, and drug dependence, leaves many individuals open to exploitation by criminals and criminal organizations; threatening the health of men, women and children, the rule of law, and ultimately, the vitality and strength of all our communities.

For information on the various psychoactive substance groups, please click the relevant links below: