NCJ Number
231127
Date Published
June 2010
Length
313 pages
Annotation
This report presents indepth and cross-sectoral analyses of transnational drug markets as of 2010, as well as the latest statistical data and trends for the world drug situation, along with a discussion of the impact of transnational drug trafficking on transit countries.
Abstract
The report begins with an analytical discussion of three key transnational drug markets: the markets for heroin, cocaine, and amphetamine-type stimulants. Cannabis is not addressed because it is increasingly produced within the country of consumption and is often addressed informally through social channels. The report notes a number of encouraging developments in global cocaine and heroin markets recently. The global area under opium poppy cultivation declined 15 percent in 2009, to 181,400 hectares. Global opium production fell from 8,890 metric tons in 2007 to 7,754 metric tons in 2009, a 13-percent decline. Potential heroin production decreased from 757 metric tons in 2007 to 657 metric tons in 2009. Following the market discussion, statistical trends for all four major drug classes, including cannabis, are presented. The latest information on drug production, seizures, and consumption is provided, with limitations on this information identified. The statistics presented were mainly drawn from the Annual Reports Questionnaire and the illicit crop surveys that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime produces in cooperation with member states. A chapter on the relationship between drug trafficking and international instability focuses on the impact that the drug trade has on levels of violence and corruption in transit countries, particularly in Latin America, the Caribbean, and West Africa. Extensive tables and figures