Synthetic Illegal Drugs Nearly Tops Drug Abuse List
We think that cocaine and heroin are one of the top drugs that are being abused all over the world. But according to the UN (United Nations), they have been taken over by the ones that use synthetic illegal drugs like ecstasy and methamphetamine. The UNODC or UN Office on Drugs and Crime has recently stated in a report that amphetamine-type stimulants or ATS are now considered second most widely used illegal substances. The growth trend was based on the data on seizures of tablets and discoveries of clandestine laboratories. As of late though cannabis is still the drug that is widely used.
Netherlands and Burma are still the ones considered the main producers for these synthetic drugs but the spread of new manufacturers in new countries and regions has been starting which includes West Africa and Latin America. ATS are affordable and easy to manufacture as well as they are attractive drug choice for millions of drug users all around the world. This also offers criminals a new entry into unexploited and fresh markets. Unlike the famed plant-based drugs, synthetic drugs can be manufactured easily anywhere with just a small initial investment than opiates or cocaine.
The growth in the trend was indicated by the increase in the number of seizures in South-east Asia. In 2008, 32 million methamphetamine pills were confiscated and just this year it grew to a stunning 133 million last year. The industry of ATS market has evolved from a small scale to a cocaine or heroin-type market which means it si growing. Since it became much more easier for them to gain access to the drug than with cocaine and herione, it is now slowly overtaking the ranks of the two plant-based drugs. Due to high profits and low risks that these drugs show, it becomes more attractive to criminal groups all over the world.
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Tags: drug abuse drugs health synthetic drugs