Use of amphetamines rises in Moldova: UN report

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) makes public a report on drug usage in the world. According to the report, the global markets for cocaine, opiates and cannabis are steady or in decline, while the production and use of synthetic drugs is feared to be increasing in the developing world, Info-Prim Neo learns from the UNODC's web site. Ukraine and Moldova, which reported high numbers of laboratories destroyed in 2006, did not report the detection of laboratories in 2007. Laboratories in Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine tend to produce acetylated opium from locally cultivated poppy straw. In 2008, perceived increases in opiate use were noted in Albania, Belarus, Croatia, and the Republic of Moldova. Specialised studies have estimated that injecting drug use is prevalent in many eastern European countries, and HIV is common among people who inject drugs. Some CIS countries are increasingly (6%) mentioned as a source for cannabis resin, mainly due to new reports from Azerbaijan, in addition to reports from Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation and Armenia In Europe, amphetamine use stable or decreasing; methamphetamine pockets persist European amphetamines-group use appears stable, with West and Central European countries reporting stability or some decline. Perceived increases were subregional, with some increase in central Europe (Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova) and northern areas (Estonia, Latvia, Norway and Sweden). The Report shows a downward trend in major drug markets. Opium cultivation in Afghanistan, where 93 per cent of the world's opium is produced, decreased by 19 per cent in 2008. Colombia, which produces half of the world's cocaine, saw a fall of 18 per cent in cultivation and a staggering 28 per cent decline in production compared to 2007. Cannabis remains the drug that is most widely cultivated and used around the world, although estimates are less precise. Data also show that it is more harmful than commonly believed. The Report pays special attention to the impact of drug-related crime, and calls for stronger measures to fight such crime and for more resources for drug prevention and treatment. It also offers several recommendations on how to improve drug control.