Sub-title:
Trends and Patterns of Amphetamine-type Stimulants and New Psychoactive Substances
Description:
"This report analyses recent trends and developments of
the synthetic drugs market in East and South-East Asia
and Oceania, comprising both amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and new psychoactive substances (NPS).
NPS are substances of abuse that are not controlled by
the International Drug Conventions but which may
pose a public health threat. In this context, the term
‘new’ does not necessarily refer to new inventions but
to substances that have recently become available.1
East
and South-East Asia and Oceania has the largest ATS
market in the world and in recent years the scope and
availability of NPS has rapidly expanded. Moreover,
this synthetic drugs market is becoming more complex
and interconnected with other regions. These developments warrant an in-depth study to understand the
current threat and impact of ATS and NPS in East and
South-East Asia and Oceania within a global context.
The analysis of the synthetic drug problem in the region is essential to complement the understanding of
the illicit market for synthetic drugs called for in the
2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem.
The availability of quality data and information-sharing
in the region has improved with the support of the Drug
Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific
(DAINAP), which offers a regional control mechanism
for drug monitoring.2
However, the quality of data and
information on some aspects of the synthetic drugs market remains limited. Particularly, demand-related data
on the extent and pattern of use, and treatment remains
scarce. And yet, methamphetamine and other synthetic
drugs that pose a serious health threat to users seem to
become increasingly available and are a challenge for
health care providers and drug control authorities.
Challenges in reducing the supply and demand
for synthetic drugs
Methamphetamine continues to dominate the synthetic drugs market in East and South-East Asia and
is mainly available in two forms: methamphetamine
tablets and crystalline methamphetamine. Increasing
methamphetamine seizures and expert perception of
high levels of methamphetamine tablet and crystalline
methamphetamine use indicate the presence of a large
and possibly expanding market in East and South-East
Asia.3
For some years, the “ecstasy”4
market has been
concentrated in parts of Oceania. Recently, according
to expert perception, there is an emerging “ecstasy”
market in parts of East and South-East Asia with use
reported in Indonesia and countries in the Mekong
sub-region.5
Addressing the trafficking of synthetic drugs in East and
South-East Asia involves a number of difficulties. Over
the last several years, countries in East and South-East
Asia and Oceania have experienced rapid economic expansion. For instance, the share of the regions’ global
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) based on purchasingpower-parity (PPP), is estimated to have increased
from about 10 per cent in 2000 to over 30 per cent in
2014 at a value of more than US$ 28 trillion.6
Except
for a sharp drop in 2009, exports and imports to and
from countries in East and South-East Asia and Oceania have also significantly increased over the years. Between 2002 and 2013, imports and exports more than
tripled to more than US$ 6.5 trillion and 6.9 US$
trillion respectively..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of Publication:
2015-05-00
Date of entry:
2019-07-06
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Countries:
Myanmar
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf pdf
Size:
9.34 MB 2.78 MB
Resource Type:
text
Text quality:
- Good