This downturn could drive up overdose fatalities as heroin users turn to synthetic opioids, which have already proven lethal in Europe.
“While opium production in Myanmar increased by 36% last year, global production plummeted by 75%,” the report stated.
It warned of the anticipated decline in heroin purity in the market and the potential shift of heroin users to other opioids, posing serious health risks.
The agency also highlighted concerns about the adulteration of heroin with nitazenes, primarily sourced from China, contributing to overdose deaths in some instances.
Meanwhile, the cocaine market continues to thrive, with global supply reaching a record high of over 2,700 tonnes in 2022, up 20% from the previous year. The trade is expanding beyond traditional markets like the US and Western and Central Europe, extending into Africa where trafficking is on the rise.
Coca bush cultivation, mainly in the Andean region of the Americas, increased by 12% between 2021 and 2022, reaching 355,000 hectares.
Overall, the report noted that nearly 292 million people worldwide, approximately 1 in 18 of the global population, used drugs in 2022, marking a 20% increase over the past decade largely due to population growth.
In terms of specific drug use, cannabis remained the most widely used substance globally, with an estimated 228 million users, followed by opioids (60 million), amphetamine-type stimulants (30 million), cocaine (23 million), and ecstasy (20 million).
The UNODC also highlighted that cannabis legalisation in many US jurisdictions has accelerated its harmful use and led to a proliferation of cannabis products.