World Drug Report 2021

World Drug Report 2021 was released by The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The 2021 report aims at fostering greater international cooperation to counter the impact of the world drug problem on health, governance and security, and assisting the Member States in anticipating and addressing challenges arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concerns Highlighted in the Report

• An estimated 275 million people aged 15–64 had used drugs at least once.
• Users of any drug increased by 22% between 2010 and 2019.
• Among the 275 million people, almost 13 per cent are estimated to suffer from drug use disorders.
• Cannabis remains by far the most commonly used drug although Opioids present the greatest harm to the health of users.

India’s Vulnerabilities

• According to AIIMS National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Drug Abuse in India, about 2.8% of country’s population reported having used cannabis, whereas. 2.1% used opioids.
• Its location between the Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent makes India highly vulnerable to drug trafficking through illicit networks.

Possibilities and Prospects

• Combat Misinformation: Combating misinformation about the use of drugs such as cannabis, opium etc. on the social media platforms forms the first step.
• Raising Awareness: There is an urgent need to raise awareness among the young and vulnerable people of the potential harm of commonly used drugs such as cannabis. Government and Private firms can join hands in raising awareness rapidly on a large scale.
• International Cooperation: Economic and technological limitations of developing countries call for increasing international cooperation to fight drug menace. Organizations such as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime can help in putting a coordinated and comprehensive response to the issues fostering drug menace. Increasing complexities of world drug trade due to evolution of digital means of communication calls for regional as well as international cooperation among the law enforcement agencies of affected countries.
• Capacity Building: There is need to build capacity of Law enforcement agencies for intercepting drug trade, particularly due to rising sale of drugs over the darknet and darkweb.
• Rehabilitation: The victims of drug abuse must be rehabilitated without stigmatizing them.