Health News
Study: More than 200 million people use illicit drugs worldwide
Jan 5, 2012, 23:31 GMT
New York - More than 200 million people worldwide regularly use illicit drugs, leading to major health problems similar to those from alcohol abuse but not as severe as those from tobacco-related disease, The Lancet said in a study published Thursday.
The majority of people using illicit opioids, amphetamines, cocaine and cannabis are in high-income countries, said Australian researchers from universities in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The total figure amounts to one in every 20 people aged 15 to 64.
They cited available data suggesting that there are a total of 125 to 203 million cannabis users, 14 to 56 million amphetamine users, 14 to 21 million cocaine users and 12 to 21 million opioid users.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna said it appeared that cannabis users are the highest percentage in Australia and New Zealand, up to 15 per cent of the 15-64 age group, while users of opioid, including heroin, are in the Middle East, with up to 1.4 per cent of the same age group. Cocaine use was highest in North America.
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