United Nations: Some 230M adults worldwide have used an illegal drug

On  the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Tuesday, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said some 230 million people, or five percent of the global adult population,  have used an illegal drug in 2010. The UNODC’s 2012 World Drug Report (WDR) noted that cannabis was the most used illegal substance, and estimated user numbers between 119 million and 224 million worldwide. The WDR also noted that the use and seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants, the second most used drugs in the world, have remained stable.  The report also noted that methamphetamine use, specifically crystalline methamphetamine, is widespread in East and South-East Asia. Crystalline methamphetamine was the most commonly used drug in the Philippines, the report added. The UNODC also said there were around around 27 million problem drug users worldwide — or one in every 200 people — who are mostly heroin and cocaine dependents.  "Heroin, cocaine and other drugs continue to kill around 200,000 people a year, shattering families and bringing misery to thousands of other people,” said UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov. China: Major heroin market The WDR noted that China continues to be a major heroin market, where significant quantities of heroin are smuggled in.   On March 30 last year, three Filipinos were executed in China after being convicted of trafficking heroin.   Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, Ramon Credo and Elizabeth Batain all died by lethal injection after the Supreme People’s Court of China found each of them guilty of smuggling more than 4,000 grams of heroin. Under Chinese law, any person caught smuggling 50 grams of heroin or any narcotic drug can be punished by death.  Hindrance to progress Meanwhile, the UNODC said organized crime and illegal drugs are impeding the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals by 2015. Combating organized crime and illicit drugs internationally must therefore be an “integral part” of the UN development agenda, the UNODC said.   "The public health aspects of prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration all have to be recognized as key elements in the global strategy to reduce drug demand," said UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov. The UN General Assembly, in a December 1987 resolution, declared June 26 as International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. - VVP, GMA News