The Global Drug Situation: with a focus on East and SE

Asia

Launch of the World Drug Report (2012)

Bangkok, 26 June 2012

Gary Lewis

UNODC Regional Representative, East Asia

and the Pacific

Embargoed: 10h00 New York Time 26 June 2012

Key elements of the response:

1. Knowledge

2. Norms

3. Capacity

4. Partnerships

“Containment” continues to work

• Number of illicit drug users level at approx. 5% adult pop.

• Opiate cultivation is declining globally

• Coca/cocaine is declining globally

• Poppy/coca cultivation is now limited to a few countries

• Cannabis use = stable / increasing

• ATS use stabilizes across globe

EAST AND SE ASIA – THE WARNING SIGNS

• Resurgence of opium cultivation

• Soaring production, trafficking, use of ATS

The Big Picture

1. GlobalOpiates

ATS

2. East and SE AsiaATS

Opiates

3. Implications for policy

KNOWLEDGE

Illicit drug use at the global level, late 1990s – 2010 / 11

180 185200 205 200 208

172155 149 153

250 250272

300

25 25 26 38 38 39 39

226

2718 16 15 16

4.6 4.85.04.94.94.84.8 4.7 4.9 5.0

3.5 3.44.0

3.3

5.8 5.76.1

6.6

0.60.60.60.60.4 0.4 0.30.3

0.90.9 0.90.9

-

50

100

150

200

250

300

350la

te 1

990s

2001

/02

2003

/04

2004

/05

2005

/06

2006

/07

2007

/08

2008

/09

2009

/10

2010

/11

late

199

0s

2001

/02

2003

/04

2004

/05

2005

/06

2006

/07

2007

/08

2008

/09

2009

/10

2010

/11

Num

ber o

f dru

g us

ers

(mill

ions

)

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

Ann

ual p

reva

lenc

e am

ong

the

popu

latio

n ag

ed 1

5-64

(per

cent

age)

Number of illicit drug users (millions) Number of problem drug users (millions)Annual prevalence of illicit drug use (percentage) Prevalence of problem drug use (percentage)

Source: Estimates based on UNODC annual report questionnaire data.

Annual prevalence of illicit drug use among the population aged 15-64, 2008-2010

2.8

4.34.5

5.0

1.2 1.3 1.2

0.6 0.6 0.60.4 0.5 0.4

0.8 0.8

0.5 0.5 0.5

2.9

2.6

0.3 0.3 0.3% 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.30.5 0.6

0.3 0.3 0.30.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010

Cannabis ATS (excluding"ecstasy")

Ecstasy-group Cocaine Opioids Opiates

Ann

ual p

reva

lenc

e(p

erce

ntag

e)

Source: UNODC, 2012 World Drug Report, June 2012.

4360031,70028,50027,700

21,50032,800

130,300

160,000

38100

108,700

150,100

410030001,9001,6001,500

19,052 26,837

30,580

131000

123000123,000

157,000

193,000

165,000

104,000

63,67450,800

206,700

185,900

213,000

235,700

201,000

151,500142,100

222,000

237,800

281,600 262,800

190,700

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Hec

tare

s

Myanmar Lao PDR Afghanistan Rest of the world Total

Global illicit opium poppy cultivation, 1990-2011

-12%

Coca cultivation, 1990-2010

57,000

99,000

40,100

68,000

163,300

61,200

59,90043,400

121,300

31,000

50,300

30,900

14,600

149,200

181,600

158,800

221,300211,700

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,00019

90

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

hect

ares

Colombia Peru Bolivia Global

2000-2010

Colombia: -65%

Peru: +41%

Bolivia: +123%

----------------------

Global: -33%

Source: UNODC, 2011 World Drug Report, June 2011.

GLOBAL: 2007-2010: -18%

2000-2010: -33%

1990-2010: -30%

DEATHS attributable to the use of illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco

Illicit drugs Alcohol Tobacco Total

Deaths related to substance abuse (millions) 0.245 2.3 5.1 7.6

Global deaths (percentage) 0.4% 3.6% 8.7% 12.6%

Lost disability-adjusted life-years (millions) 13.2 69.4 56.9 139.5

Global lost disability-adjusted life-years (percentage) 0.9% 4.4% 3.7% 9.0%

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Risks: Mortality and Burden of Disease Attributable to Selected Major Risks (Geneva, 2009).

“The international drug control system seems to be acting as a brake on drug use – particularly among adults who are less willing to transgress laws by consuming drugs.”

Key conclusion

1. GlobalOpiates

ATS

2. East and SE AsiaATS

Opiates

3. Implications for policy

KNOWLEDGE

OPIATES: “Containment” is working

Global opium production, 1990-2011

3,416

2,693

4,5654,100

6,100

8,2007,700

6,900

3,600

5,800

1,583

1,303

895

312

315

460

410

330

580

610

3,760

4,270 4,140

4,610

5,620

4,450 4,360

4,820

4,350

5,760

4,690

1,630

4,5004,790 4,840

4,640

6,660

8,8908,640

7,850

6,990

4,740

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Met

ric to

ns

Afghanistan Myanmar Lao PDR Rest of the world Total

Sources: UNODC, 2012 World Drug Report, June 2012, and previous years.

-21%

+48%

Regional distribution of illicit poppy cultivation in AFGHANISTAN in 2011

Afghanistan: 131,000 ha (+7%)

Sources: UNODC, Afghanistan Opium Survey 2011, January 2012

Global seizures of heroin and morphine (of more than 100 kg), 2010

Source: UNODC, 2012 World Drug Report, June 2012.

1. GlobalOpiates

ATS

2. East and SE AsiaATS

Opiates

3. Implications for policy

KNOWLEDGE

Seizures of amphetamines* (of more than 10 kg), 2010

1. GlobalOpiates

ATS

2. East and SE AsiaATS

Opiates

3. Implications for policy

KNOWLEDGE

• ATS: main illicit drugs threat in East and South-East Asia

• E / SE Asia = ½ world’s meth seizures

• E / SE Asia = ½ world’s ATS users

ATS threat in SE Asia

Methamphetamine tablet seizures in East and Southeast Asia, 2008-2010

31,950,374

94,145,684

135,978,857

0

20,000,000

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000

100,000,000

120,000,000

140,000,000

160,000,000

2008 2009 2010

Tabl

ets

seiz

ed

Source: UNODC, World Drug Report 2012, June 2012, based on data collected by the Drug Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific, including data for Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Lao’s People Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

ATS summary

• ATS ranks in top 3 drugs in all countries

• High levels of ATS manufacture

• Methamphetamines: a growing threat

• Crystal meth: a growing threat

• Shift in precursor sourcing

• TOC groups – Iranians + West African Nationals

• ATS arrests and treatment demand rising

1. GlobalOpiates

ATS

2. East and SE AsiaATS

Opiates

3. Implications for policy

KNOWLEDGE

CULTIVATION – SE Asia

MYANMAR (2011)

21% of world cultivation

9% of world production

UN project area, South Shan

A “drop in the bucket”

Myanmar: 43,600 ha (+14%)

Expanded AD areas (May 2012)

• Effective eradication = one-third (?)

• Compare Afghanistan = 3% approx

• Opium poppy reduction possible in Myanmar in 2012

• This represents a significant effort by Government of Myanmar

1. What is driving opium poppy increase:a) Food insecurity

b) Poverty

c) Conflict

d) High price of poppy

2. Few international organizations are currently providing AD support in Shan State

3. Investment in AD by the international community is an investment in peace and security in the border areas of Myanmar

Conclusion on Myanmar poppy

1. GlobalOpiates

ATS

2. East and SE AsiaATS

Opiates

3. Implications for policy

KNOWLEDGE

1. Support efforts to reduce poppy cultivation and drug production (ATS) in Myanmar a) Alternative development / food

assistance

b) Law enforcement and precursor control

c) Better cross-border cooperation

Implications for policy

2. Promote evidence-based drug control and law enforcement policiesa) Better data – shared

b) Prioritize countering both TOC and public health

Implications for policy

3. Focus law enforcement on OC/TOC kingpinsa) Kingpins and white-collar accomplices

b) “Follow the money”

c) Empower FLOs with skills and equipment

Implications for policy

4. Increase emphasis on effective demand reductiona) Evidence-based prevention

b) Community-based treatment

c) Diversion away from the CJ system

Implications for policy

5. Expand programmes that “reduce negative health and social consequences”a) Improve quality and coverage

b) Sensitize law enforcement

c) More nationally-financed efforts on IDU

Implications for policy

THANK YOU

www.unodc.org/eastasiaandpacific