NEW DELHI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The number of people across the globe consuming drugs has remained constant since last year, a report released here Tuesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said.
The report was released by the United Nations (UN) worldwide to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking.
The report said there are signs of stability in production, trafficking as well as consumption for almost all drugs including cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamines.
There are 200 million people on drugs worldwide, which is 4.8 percent of the world population aged between 15 and 64 years.
A message by UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa, released here, said there is some ground for optimism that the run-away train of drug addiction is being slowed down.
Antonio said people worldwide must impress upon their governments, family, friends and co-workers the need to continue and push back against drugs.
With regards to Southeast Asia, the report said the region is closing a tragic chapter that has blighted the Golden Triangle for decades. The region is now almost opium free.
However, since the region is not free of poverty, farmers remain vulnerable to temptations of illicit incomes.
Farmers need assistance to move to alternate farming and need financial assistance.
The same goes for Afghanistan and Andean nations.
In 2007, the report said, the UNODC plans to open regional narcotic information-sharing centers in central Asia and the Gulf to check drug trafficking.
from http://www.cdao.com.cn
