Pakistan remains the main transit country for narcotics produced in neighbouring Afghanistan, particularly heroin, opium and hashish. According to the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates, 43 per cent of Afghan's opiates are trafficked through Pakistan to other parts of the world.
Cesar Guedes, UNODC Country Representative, said this during the launching ceremony of World Drug Report 2016 on Wednesday here at a local hotel. The report was published after April's UN General Assembly special session on the world drug problems, a landmark moment in global drug policy which resulted in a series of concrete operational recommendations, he added.
He said that the special session was an important milestone in achieving the goals set in the policy document of 2009 "Political declaration and plan of action on international cooperation towards an integrated and balanced strategy to counter the world drug problem", which defined action to be taken by member states as well as goals to be achieved by 2019.
Guedes said that according to the report five percent of the adult population or nearly 250 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 used at least one drug in 2014. The report, however, suggested that the number of people classified as suffering from drug user disorder has increased disproportionably for the first time in six years. He said that over 29 million people who used drugs suffer from drug use disorders and 12 million people inject drugs with 14 percent of these living with HIV as well as six million people who inject drugs are living with hepatitis C. Estimated 2,07,000 drugs related deaths have been reported in 2014, he added.
Cannabis, remain the most commonly used drugs at the global level, as estimated 183 million people have used the drug (Cannabis) in 2014. Amphetamines is the second most commonly used drug as 33 million people used it during the period. The report noted that men are three times more likely than women to use Cannabis, Cocaine or Amphetamines, whereas women are more likely than men to engage in the non medical use of Opioids and Tranquilizers. It further said that in most surveys, the prevalence of drug use among young people is reportedly higher than among adults, and the gender divided in drug use is narrower among young people than among adults.
The report also includes new finding related to people who inject drug PWID. PWID users experience some of the most severe health related harms associated with unsafe drug use. One in seven PWID user is living with HIV and one in two with hepatitis C, it said.
The report recommended that development initiatives need to be sensitive to drugs vulnerabilities and response to drug problem needs to be mindful of broad development aims.
Drug policies need to be in line with the requirements of the International Human Rights Instruments, be sensitive to gender, environmentally friendly and based on scientific evidence and overcome the stigmatisation of drug users. The report also recommended that drug use and its health consequences should be prevented and treated in prisons and heroin still requires the attention of the international community.