UN declares worldwide cocaine production reaches record high

(MENAFN)
Global cocaine production reached an unprecedented high in 2023, with significant increases in drug seizures, user numbers, and related deaths, according to a new report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Released on Thursday, the annual report highlights how global instability is creating opportunities for organized crime, fueling drug production and consumption at record levels. Cocaine is now the fastest-growing illegal drug market, with production rising nearly 34% from the previous year to an estimated 3,708 tons. This surge is primarily due to expanded coca cultivation and improved crop yields in Colombia.

Cocaine use rose to approximately 25 million people globally in 2023, compared to 17 million in 2013. The highest levels of consumption remain in North America, Western and Central Europe, and South America, with European cities seeing sharp increases based on wastewater analysis.

For the fifth straight year, more cocaine was seized in Western and Central Europe than in North America. Between 2019 and 2023, global seizures rose by 68%.

Overall, 316 million people – or 6% of the world’s population aged 15 to 64 – used illicit drugs in 2023, a rise from 5.2% a decade earlier. Drug use disorders continue to take a heavy toll, contributing to around 500,000 deaths annually and resulting in the loss of 28 million healthy life years worldwide. Despite this, only one in 12 individuals affected received treatment last year.

UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly emphasized the urgent need for stronger prevention strategies, international cooperation, and judicial efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks.

While cocaine can create intense feelings of euphoria and energy, it poses serious health risks, including heart and respiratory failure, strokes, and lasting neurological harm. Its addictive nature often leads users into dangerous cycles of bingeing and withdrawal.

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