By Christian George
The Executive Director of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Ghada Waly, has expressed concerns over the growing rate of mental illness in society.
This came on the premise of the 2023 World Drug Report launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The report has put the global estimate of people who injected drugs in 2021 at 13.2 million, 18 per cent higher than previously estimated.
Also, over 296 million people globally used drugs in 2021, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous decade.
It also revealed that the number of people suffering from drug use disorders has skyrocketed to 39.5 million, a 45% increase over a decade.
Based on this high rate, demand for treating drug-related disorders remains largely unmet.
The UNODC boss, Waly explained that the rising number of people with drug use disorder has led to a shortage of treatment, adding that there is a need to increase awareness of and be alert to drug trafficking.
In his words, “We are witnessing a continued rise in the number of people suffering from drug use disorders worldwide, while treatment fails to reach all those who need it.
“Meanwhile, we must step up responses against drug trafficking, exploiting conflicts and global crises to expand illicit drug cultivation and production, especially synthetic drugs, fueling illicit markets and causing greater harm to people and communities.”
According to statistics, about 70% of people in Africa in treatment are under the age of 35 years.
It noted Nigeria as the transit hub of drug abuse and trafficking as an aftermath of its location and extensive international connections.
