21 Unbelievable Facts About Global Drug Use

Drugs are used all around the globe. Some for positive reasons like medicine or religious ceremonies, others for harm like GHB (the date rape drug). The majority of illegal drugs are simply used to get high. Unless you live under a rock you’ve heard about drug use getting worse throughout the world in the past few decades. The most secluded tribes in the Amazon use hallucinogens during ceremonies. There are places in Sub-Saharan Africa that don’t have running water yet still find a way to get weed and opium.

I got high in solitary confinement in prison. Solitary in NYS prison where I was is an entire prison inside a prison. Along with Fort Knox and the White House, solitary confinement is one of the most heavily guarded places in America, yet we got drugs in there. 3 barbed wire fences, 4 electronically locked doors, a locked cell door, and countless guards were no match for the human desire to get high. Global drug use in most categories is on the rise. I was shocked to learn how vast global drug use is.

Here are 21 Unbelievable Facts About Global Drug Use:

1. More Than A Quarter Of A Billion People Use Drugs Globally

It is estimated that in 2016 some 275 million people worldwide had used drugs at least once in the previous year. Corresponding to 5.6% of the global population aged 15–64 years, or approximately 1 of every 18 people. The actual number of people who use drugs increased by 20 million people from 2015 to 2016. This change is largely due to an increase in the global number of cannabis users. (source)

Many experts believe this number is vastly underestimated. Many drug users stay in the so-called shadows of society and keep their drug use as quiet as possible. Also, this number does not take into consideration legal prescription drug use and abuse. Many people abuse their legal prescriptions. It’s almost impossible to get an accurate number because no one wants to admit they abuse their prescriptions for fear of being charged with a crime or losing their prescription.

2. Overall Seizures of Opiates Rose By Almost 50% From 2015 to 2016.

The quantity of heroin seized globally reached a record high of 91 tons in 2016. That’s 182,000 pounds. If that’s the amount they seized then I would assume at least 20 times that amount is going through undetected. Most opiates were seized near the manufacturing hubs in Afghanistan. (source)

3. In 2017, 70,237 People Died From A Drug Overdoes In The US, The Highest Ever On Record.

This was an increase of more than 6000 from the previous year. (source)

4. People Who Use Heroin Are Exposed To A Severe Risk Of Death From An Overdose After Release From Prison, Especially In The First Two Weeks.

Such deaths are related to a lowered tolerance to the effects of heroin developed during incarceration. Yet released prisoners are rarely able to access overdose prevention medications such as naloxone and methadone, or other treatment for substance dependence. It’s a sick cycle the people who need the most help and education about drug use receive the least amount of treatment. (source)

I witnessed 2 guys overdose on heroin in prison. Both of these guys were heroin addicts but had been clean for a few months. A batch of heroin laced with fentanyl came into the jail. Both of them thought they could do the same amount they did on the streets and they both overdosed. Both guys survived after multiple Narcan shots, but one had to spend 3 days in the hospital.

5. In July 2017, Police Forces From Several Countries Worked Together To Take Down The Largest Drug-trading Platform On The Darknet.

Before it was closed, AlphaBay had featured more than 250,000 listings for illegal drugs and chemicals. It had over 200,000 users and 40,000 vendors during its existence. The authorities also succeeded in taking down the trading platform Hansa, described as the third-largest criminal marketplace on the dark web. The site’s daily sales in early 2017 amounted to more than 600,000 euros, up from some 200,000 euros per day a year earlier and about twice as much as the record sales figure of Silk Road at its peak in summer 2013. (source)

6. The Total Area Under Opium Poppy Cultivation Worldwide Increased To Almost 420,000 HA (Hectare) In 2017. More Than 75% Of That Area Is In Afghanistan. (source)

For all of you people like me that have no idea what a Hectare is, this will help.

1 Ha = 2.47 Acre’s                                                                                                              1 Ha = Roughly 2 football fields

7. Some 31 Million People Worldwide Suffer From Drug Use Disorders

Of concern is the fact that an estimated one in nine people who use drugs (11%) suffer from drug use disorders, meaning that their drug use is harmful to the point where they may experience drug dependence and/or require treatment. This amounted to an estimated 30.5 million people. (source)

8. Cannabis Remained By Far The Most Widely Consumed Drug Worldwide In 2016, With 192.2 Million Past-Year Users, Corresponding To 3.9% Of The Global Population Aged 15–64 Years.

High annual prevalence rates of cannabis use continue in West and Central Africa (13.2%), North America (12.9%) and Oceania (11%). Experts in many countries in Africa and Asia perceived an increase in cannabis use, although there is a lack of information on the extent of drug use due to poor data collection measures in these parts of the world. (source)

9. Amphetamines Are One Of The Most Worrying Threats Of Drug Use In East And South-East Asia

It is not possible to construct a specific estimate of the use of amphetamines in East and Southeast Asia due to the chronic lack of data in the subregion, but many countries in that subregion consider methamphetamine use to be one of the most worrying threats in regards to illicit drugs. (Source) 

An expert on drug use who has studied this issue in China, India, and Thailand says “Uppers hit Asia hard in the past 2 decades, the main reason is it allows people to stay awake for days on end and work so they can make more money to support their families. Methamphetamine is relatively cheap and easy to make using normal household chemicals.” 

10. Globally, An Estimated 18.2 Million People Used Cocaine In 2016, Or 0.4% Of The Population Aged 15–64 Years.

There are indications of an increase in cocaine use in many countries in North and South America. Many experts believe this number is very low. They quote some estimates that could be up to 1-2% of the global population has used some form of cocaine In the past year. (Source) 

11. Cocaine Base Paste, Previously Confined To Cocaine-Manufacturing Countries, Has Spread To Many Countries In South America At A Rapid Pace.

Coca Paste (paco, basuco, oxi) is a crude extract of the coca leaf which contains 40% to 91% cocaine sulfate. (Source) Coca paste is leftover during the production of cocaine powder. Since it is so cheap, even cheaper than crack, it has spread at a rapid paste throughout poor neighborhoods and communities in South and Central America.

12. Approximately 60 Countries Have Ranked Benzodiazepines Among The Three Most Commonly Misused Substances.

Non-medical use of benzodiazepines in combination with prescription opioids is a growing problem. Benzodiazepines are also frequently reported in fatal overdose cases involving opioids. It is very common to combine benzodiazepines and opioids such as heroin. The 2 drugs feed off each other and create a much higher high. (Source) 

13. In 2016, As In Previous Years, Only An Estimated One In Six People Who Had Drug Use Disorders Received Treatment.

As I explain in other articles, (Rock Bottom) drug addicts aren’t going to get clean until they’re ready. The government or their family can force someone to stop using drugs for a period of time, for example in jail, but that person will never stay clean after jail unless they choose to. With that being said there needs to be better treatment available for drug addicts from all walks of life, across every socio-economic bracket. (source)

14. Of The 179 Countries Where There Was Evidence Of Injecting Drug Use, Needle And Syringe Programs Were Unavailable In 83 Countries.

Needle and syringe exchange programs can be controversial with opponents saying that this is enabling the addicts. I can tell you firsthand that these programs are a great benefit to not only the drug users but the general population. These programs help stop the spread of HIV and Hep C along with other diseases that can come from sharing needles. (source)

Also, an addict is going to get high whether or not a needle exchange program is available to them. I’ve done heroin in multiple cities around the US during my active using days, some with exchange programs and some not. Never have I heard someone say they aren’t getting high because they couldn’t get clean needles. They will use a dirty needle or spray bleach on an old needle, wash it out, and reuse it. This can be very dangerous for the user.

Needle exchange programs don’t just hand out new needles, they provide information and treatment to addicts who want it, as well as basic medical checkups.

15. North America Ranks 4th Out Of 12 Regions For IV Drug Users Who Receive Opioid Substitution Therapy.

There was evidence of implementation of opioid substitution therapy in 86 countries, but it was absent in 92 countries. There were only 79 countries (44%) implementing both needle and syringe programs and opioid substitution therapy. (source)

16. It Is Estimated That There Were 452,000 Deaths Attributable To Drug Use Worldwide In 2016. This number has been steadily Increasing Since The Year 2000.

Roughly 170,000 of these deaths were a result of an overdose, with the remaining deaths attributed to diseases and complications stemming from long term drug use. (source)

17. There Was A 73% Increase From 2016 – 2017 In Overdose Deaths In British Columbia Which Fentanyl Was Detected.

Drug dealers commonly mix Fentanyl with Heroin due to Fentanyl’s extremely potent nature. Cities across America have reported seizing marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines all laced with Fentanyl. (source)

18. Non-fatal Overdoses Can Leave Drug Users With Significant Health Problems Such as Muscle Tissue Breakdown, Kidney Failure, Heart Problems, Seizures, Nerve Damage or Cognitive Impairment.

Experiencing a non-fatal overdose has been shown to be associated with a subsequent fatal overdose, and the risk increases with the number of prior non-fatal overdoses. The sad reality is that many addicts who die from an overdose have overdosed in the past. (source)

19. Almost 75% of Addicts Who Inject Drugs, Report That They Have Witnessed An Overdose (Including Those That Prove Fatal).

This means that people who use drugs have a chance to intervene and influence the outcome of the situation. (source)  This is why having and being trained in the use of Narcan is so important. Every person in the country should have a Narcan kit in their cars and homes. To learn more about how Narcan saves lives check out this article: What Is Narcan and How Does It Work

20. Global Cocaine Manufacture Rose By 56% Over The Period 2013–2016.

Potential cocaine output reached 1,410 tons (at 100% purity) in 2016, the highest level ever estimated, representing a 25% rise in global cocaine manufacture from the previous year. The largest increase in potential cocaine manufacture (34%) in 2016 was reported by Colombia, which accounted for more than 60% of the global total. (Source)

21. Fentanyl and Its Analogues Can Be Between 100 and 10,000 Times
More Potent Than Morphine.

This is why Fentanyl is so dangerous. Street dealers don’t know how strong Fentanyl is and how to mix it. They end up putting way too much Fentanyl in a batch and not even know it. There was a case in Ohio of a cop who overdosed on fentanyl just from it touching his arm during a drug raid. Thankfully he was saved with Narcan. (Source)