Decline of Afghan opium may lead to increased demand for dangerous alternatives, UN says

Ban on poppy cultivation by the Taliban in 2022 causes a 74 percent drop in global opium production

June 26 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned this Wednesday that the decline in opium production in Afghanistan could lead to an increase in demand for potentially more dangerous alternatives around the world, such as nitazene, a synthetic substitute for heroin.

The organization’s experts have expressed concern about the possible collapse of Afghan opium production and its consequences on the global narcotics market due to the potential demand for high-risk alternatives, an issue that is already causing deaths in several European countries. .

The cultivation of poppy, from which the raw material for heroin, opium, is obtained, was banned in Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2022. As a consequence, global opium production fell by 74 percent in 2023, to slightly less of 2,000 tons, according to the UNODC World Drug Report.

UNODC expert Thomas Pietschmann has warned that “shortages will come”, which “could cause a real problem”, according to a statement, which suggests that heroin users could turn to substitute and also illegal synthetic drugs, such as nitrates or fentanyl. These substances have a more powerful effect than heroin and therefore carry a higher risk of overdose.

According to the report, 292 million people used drugs worldwide (based on 2022 data), which represents an increase of 20 percent in a decade. The largest proportion corresponds to cannabis users: 228 million.

The UNODC has in turn expressed its concern about the sharp increase in cocaine production and consumption. This not only causes an increase in violence in Latin American and Caribbean countries but also causes problems in Europe.

It is estimated that some 64 million people worldwide suffer from diseases derived from drug use, but only one in eleven receives treatment, with a clear difference between men and women — one in 18 women receives treatment, compared to one of every seven men–.

In 2022, some seven million people were charged with drug-related crimes, two-thirds for possession or use. In addition, 2.7 million have been prosecuted for crimes of this type.

The drastic decline in opium production in Afghanistan (about 95 percent) has been accompanied by an increase in Burma (36 percent). The contraction of the Afghan opium market has caused a clear decline in income for farmers in the country and has contributed to the enrichment of traffickers. This could have a long-term impact on heroin purity or a change in the market.