Quote:Canada is one of the biggest drug exporters of methamphetamine to New Zealand and Australia in the world. From cartels in Canada to biker gangs in the South Pacific, W5’s Avery Haines investigates the methamphetamine pipeline and the devastation left in its wake. WARNING: The following program contains mature subject matter and imagery and discussions of drug use, which may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

Quote:Making the world safer from drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime │ Vienna International Centre │ PO Box 500 │ 1400 Vienna │ Austria
Tel.: (+43-1) 26060-0 │ Fax: (+43 -1) 26060-5866 │ Email: unodc@unodc.org │ www.unodc.org
Under embargo until 26 June 2025 at 8 am CEST
UNODC World Drug Report 2025: Global instability compounding social, economic and
security costs of the world drug problem
Vienna, 26 June 2025: A new era of global instability has intensified challenges in
addressing the world drug problem, empowering organized crime groups and pushing
drug use to historically high levels, says the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in
the World Drug Report 2025 launched today.
“This edition of the World Drug Report shows that organized drug trafficking groups
continue to adapt, exploit global crises, and target vulnerable populations,” said Ghada
Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. “We must invest in prevention and address the root
causes of the drug trade at every point of the illicit supply chain. And we must
strengthen responses, by leveraging technology, strengthening cross-border
cooperation, providing alternative livelihoods, and taking judicial action that targets key
actors driving these networks. Through a comprehensive, coordinated approach, we
can dismantle criminal organizations, bolster global security, and protect our
communities.”
316 million people used a drug (excluding alcohol and tobacco) in 2023, or six per cent
of the population aged between 15 and 64, compared to 5.2 per cent of the population
in 2013. With 244 million users, cannabis remains the most widely used drug, followed
by opioids (61 million), amphetamines (30.7 million), cocaine (25 million) and “ecstasy”
(21 million). New groups of vulnerable people fleeing hardship, instability and conflict
could cause these numbers to increase further, the report warns.
The report includes special chapters on drug trafficking and organized crime; the
impact of drug use on the health of people who use drugs, their families, communities,
and society; and the impact of drugs on the environment in Europe.
Global cocaine market breaking its own records
Production, seizures, and use of cocaine all hit new highs in 2023, making cocaine the
world’s fastest-growing illicit drug market. Illegal production skyrocketed to 3,708 tons,
nearly 34 per cent more than in 2022. Global cocaine seizures reached a record high at
2,275– a 68 per cent rise over 2019-2023. Use of cocaine, meanwhile, has grown from
17 million users in 2013 to 25 million users in 2023.
Cocaine traffickers are breaking into new markets across Asia and Africa, the report
notes. The vicious violence and competition characterizing the illicit cocaine arena,
once confined to Latin America, is now spreading to Western Europe as organized
crime groups from the Western Balkans increase their influence over the market.