A sharp rise in the variety of legal "designer drugs" with names that entice young people into thinking they pose no risk is alarming from a public health standpoint, according to the UNODC World Drug Report 2013.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has recently launched the World Drug Report 2013 presenting a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in drug markets and covering production, trafficking, consumption and the related health consequences.
June 26 is the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Health is the ongoing theme of the world drug campaign.
Yury Fedotov, Executive Director at The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, recently commented on messages for young people people around new psychoactive substances.
The UNODC released its evidence-based 'International Standards on Drug Use Prevention' in Vienna March 2013 with contributions from Mentor International, EMCDDA, CCSA, CICAD, NIDA, and WHO.
This event heard a number of excellent presentations on standards and health centred prevention policy worldwide, including Jeff Lee on Mentor's prevention Hub, all of which are now available online (See right-hand panel in the link.)
This alternative report challenges mainstream UNODC policy on drug control, July 2012
Report on SE Asia regional workshop. July 2012
The World Drug Report 2012 presents an overview of recent trends and the current situation in terms of production, trafficking and consumption and the consequences of illicit drug use in terms of treatment, drug-related diseases and drug-related deaths.
The UNODC annual report presents the organisation's findings related to drug abuse worldwide.