The illicit drug trade is deeply connected to crimes including human trafficking, illegal mining and environmental destruction.
Thursday marked International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day. This day commemorated annually on 26 June, aims to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse.
The theme for 2025 is ‘’The evidence is clear: invest in
prevention. Break the cycle. Stop Organized Crime’’, which calls for investment
in prevention, including justice, education, health care and alternative
livelihoods — the building blocks of sustainable resilience.
COURTESY: UNODCAccording to the World Health Organisation, in regions
marked by instability, organized criminal networks are expanding drug
production and trafficking at an unprecedented scale. In Southeast Asia’s
Golden Triangle, methamphetamine (known as Tik in South Africa) now dominates
over traditional drugs like opium and heroin while armed groups also engage in
large-scale online scams and financial fraud. In Latin America and the
Caribbean, record cocaine production and trafficking are fueling violence and
eroding state institutions.
‘’As demand spreads, cocaine markets are rapidly growing
not only in Europe but also across Africa and Asia. The rise of synthetic drugs
— including highly potent opioids like nitazenes — presents a new and deadly
challenge. These substances are driving overdose deaths and putting pressure on
already fragile health systems.’’ it
said in a statement.
Illegal drugs are part of a vicious cycle that entrench
poverty, exploitation, institutional weakness and addiction.
Done By: Mitchum George
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