NCJ Number
222929
Date Published
April 2008
Length
54 pages
Annotation
This report examines the trends of illicit drugs in Central Asia based on information and statistics collected from various agencies and organizations.
Abstract
Highlights of report findings include: (1) opium cultivation and production in Central Asia is minimal with over 99 percent of opiates in the region originating in Afghanistan; (2) opiate seizures are concentrated in Tajikistan; (3) drug trafficking estimates indicate the scope of opiate trafficking in the region is both significantly higher than the volume seized and increasing annually; (4) the trend of newly registered drug users has shown a marked difference in the 1996-2001 period and the 2002-2006 period, with the volume of newly registered drug users per year significantly lower in the latter period; (5) HIV/AIDS has been increasing rapidly over the last decade at an average of 48 percent per annum; (6) cannabis seizure volumes have varied significantly from year to year with a slight increasing trend visible since 1998; and (7) synthetic drug use has not been widespread primarily due to economic factors. This illicit drug trend report was prepared by the Paris Pact Coordination and Analysis Unit of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Central Asia. Maps, tables, figures