NCJ Number
135828
Date Published
1991
Length
52 pages
Annotation
The illicit production, trafficking, and abuse of drugs, together with accompanying violence and corruption of public officials, imperil public health in almost all countries, cost human lives and productivity, threaten political stability, undermine economies, and cause environmental harm.
Abstract
Data on drug seizures show that drug trafficking organizations in South America, Western Europe, and Southeast Asia continue to be involved in joint ventures to smuggle heroin and cocaine and are spreading their operations to new countries and territories. The cost in human life and suffering has been intensified by the spread of HIV infection by intravenous drug abuse. Nevertheless, some positive developments occurred in 1991. Surveys show stabilization or decline in the abuse of some drugs, and community involvement to address the problem is increasing. In addition, additional countries became parties to the 1961, 1971, and 1988 United Nations Conventions on Drug Abuse. In the future, increased efforts are needed to prevent drug abuse, to treat it effectively, and to strengthen national and international drug law enforcement.