UN Warns of Record Cocaine Production

The global illicit drug trade is reaching record levels, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned in its annual World Drug Report.

Estimated cocaine production reached a record 4,100 metric tons in 2024, roughly four times the level recorded a decade earlier. At the same time, methamphetamine seizures point to a 13% annual increase in production.

The global drug market has also been reshaped by a sharp decline in opium production in Afghanistan after the Taliban imposed a ban on poppy cultivation in 2023. However, the resulting heroin shortage is increasingly being filled by synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl and the even more potent nitazenes.

While fentanyl already dominates the illicit opioid market in North America, early warning systems recorded a sharp increase in synthetic opioids during 2024, especially in Europe, where detections rose by more than 80%, and in Oceania, where they increased by as much as 150%.

The UNODC also highlighted changing patterns of cocaine use. The report says cocaine purity is rising globally while prices are falling, making the drug more accessible. Research published in 2024 suggests cocaine use is increasingly extending beyond nightlife into everyday life.

At the same time, the use of crack cocaine is rising among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, with treatment centers reporting a significant increase in crack-related admissions across Western and Central Europe.

(reuters, max)