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Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 3:59 pm | by cadfy
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By The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Published June 23, 2010
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched the World Drug Report 2010 at the National Press Club in Washington on 23 June 2010.
The Report shows that drug use is shifting towards new drugs and new markets. Drug cultivation is declining in Afghanistan (for opium) and the Andean countries (coca), and drug use has stabilized in the developed world. However, there are signs of an increase in drug use in developing countries, and growing abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and prescription drugs around the world.
The World Drug Report 2010 exposes a serious lack of drug treatment facilities around the world. The Report estimates that, in 2008, only around a fifth of problem drug users world-wide had received treatment in the past year, which means around 20 million drug dependent people did not receive treatment. "It is time for universal access to drug treatment", said Mr. Antonio Maria Costa, UNODC Executive Director at the launch.
The World Drug Report 2010 further contains a chapter on the destabilizing influence of drug trafficking on transit countries, focusing in particular on the case of cocaine. It shows how under development and weak governance attract crime, while crime deepens instability. It shows how the wealth, violence and power of drug trafficking can undermine the security, even the sovereignty, of states.
We invite you to read a UNODC webstory on the launch of the Report, as well as the electronic version of the World Drug Report 2010.
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