PolandThe article reports on findings from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report covering up to the end of 2024. It highlights a significant increase in global drug use, with over 331 million people using narcotics during the period covered, representing a 30% rise over ten years. The report notes a growing supply and demand for cocaine, changes in usage patterns, increased purity, and falling prices. Cocaine has transitioned from a party drug to a daily-use substance. In Europe, there has been a sharp rise in crack consumption, with data showing a marked increase since 2015. The takeover by the Taliban in Afghanistan led to a dramatic drop in opium production, affecting heroin supply. However, there has been a rapid increase in the production and consumption of new synthetic opioids. The report also mentions the rising prevalence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) replacing heroin, with significant increases in Europe, Oceania, and North America. Germany is noted as the second-largest transit point for ketamine in Europe, which is both medically used and recreationally abused, leading to increased consumption and related deaths.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual data from the UNODC report without overtly biased language or selective emphasis. While the issue of drug use and its societal impact is inherently political, the reporting remains neutral in tone, focusing on statistical trends and expert observations rather than taking
