About 5% of the world's population have abused drugs at least once in recent years and nearly 30 million people could be dependent on narcotics to the point of needing treatment, according to a UN report.
The annual report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime also said the United States accounts for about 25% of drug-related deaths annually and death rates there continue to rise, reaching more than 52,000 in 2015.
The report, based on the latest figures available, also noted the following:
:: Of the almost 12 million people worldwide illegally injecting drugs, 1.6 million have HIV and 6.1 million are living with hepatitis C.
:: At least twice as many men as women suffer from drug use disorders.
:: More than 100 countries reported the emergence of 739 new psychoactive substances that change brain function and result in alterations in perception and mood between 2009 and 2016.
Source: The Irish Independent, 22/06/17
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