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Heroin shortage: warning of more dangerous alternatives

The Taliban have imposed a ban on opium cultivation. Production has fallen drastically. For experts, however, this is not all good news.

,   and  James Williams
3 min read
A used syringe, which is usually used to inject heroin (symbolic image).
A used syringe, which is usually used to inject heroin (symbolic image).

Drugs - Heroin shortage: warning of more dangerous alternatives

Due to the decline in opium production in Afghanistan, UN drug experts are concerned about new and dangerous alternative products. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna specifically warns against the synthetic heroin substitute Nitazene, which has already caused fatalities in several European countries. On the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the UNODC also highlighted the negative health effects of cocaine and cannabis in western countries in its World Drug Report.

For a long time, Afghanistan was considered the most important source country for the heroin precursor opium, which is obtained from poppy. After the Islamic Taliban banned poppy cultivation in 2022, global opium production fell by 74 percent to around 2000 tons the following year, according to the report.

"The crunch is coming"

UNODC expert Thomas Pietschmann stated that no supply shortage was yet apparent on the market. "The crunch is coming. And then there could be a problem," he warned. If heroin consumers, in the event of a shortage, are not adequately supplied with medical alternative preparations, they may turn to illegal, synthetic substitutes like Nitazene or Fentanyl, according to the report. These substances have a stronger effect than heroin and therefore pose a higher risk for overdose.

Nitazene-related fatalities have been reported in Ireland, Great Britain, and the Baltic region. The drug mainly comes from China. It is not sold as Nitazene but is cut with heroin and enters the market that way, said UNODC Chief Analyst Angela Me.

292 million global drug users

According to the UN drug agency, 292 million people worldwide use drugs, which is 20 percent more than a decade ago. The largest group of consumers - 228 million - use cannabis. The legality of cannabis in Germany was mentioned in the report but not evaluated. However, the UNODC noted that approximately 41 percent of all drug addiction cases worldwide can be attributed to cannabis. The substance is the basis for 20 percent of drug therapies in Europe, according to the report.

UNODC experts are also concerned about the effects of the cocaine boom. The production of the stimulant increased by 20 percent to over 2700 tons in 2022. New global figures are not yet available. "There are increasingly clear indications of health damage from cocaine use, particularly in Western and Central Europe," the report stated. The intensity of consumption, hospitalizations, treatment needs, and fatalities have risen. In African and Asian countries, similar trends are emerging. The UNODC emphasized that the illegal drug trade not only endangers health but also the stability of states. The report referred to the increasing violence in Ecuador and in the Caribbean in connection with cocaine. In the "Golden Triangle" between Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, drug dealers are expanding into other business areas such as wildlife trafficking, financial fraud, and illegal resource extraction.

  1. Opium production in Afghanistan declined significantly following the Taliban's ban on poppy cultivation in 2022, resulting in a drop of 74% to approximately 2000 tons the following year.
  2. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna warns against the use of synthetic heroin substitutes like Nitazene, which has already caused fatalities in several European countries.
  3. UNODC expert Thomas Pietschmann predicts a potential problem in the market due to the decline in opium production, stating, "The crunch is coming."
  4. If heroin consumers encounter a supply shortage, they may turn to illegal, synthetic substitutes like Nitazene or Fentanyl, posing a higher risk for overdose.
  5. According to the UN drug agency, 292 million people worldwide use drugs, with 228 million using cannabis, which is linked to approximately 41% of all drug addiction cases globally.
  6. The UNODC highlights concerns over the increasing production and use of cocaine, with a 20% increase to over 2700 tons in 2022 and alarming health effects, particularly in Western and Central Europe.
  7. The illegal drug trade, as illustrated by the cocaine problem, not only endangers health but also the stability of states, leading to increased violence in regions such as Ecuador, the Caribbean, and the "Golden Triangle" between Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar.

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