‘Unprecedented spike’ in new synthetic drugs: UN watchdog
Drug use around the world is rising, including a worrying increase of new potent and dangerous synthetic drugs, a U.N. watchdog warned on June 26.
An estimated 331 million people used a drug in 2024, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its 2026 World Drug Report.
This is 6.2 percent of the global population aged 15-64, an increase from 5.2 percent in 2014.
Cannabis remained the most popular drug globally in 2024, followed by opioids, amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy, the UNODC said.
