United States of America:
The Central America and Caribbean region continues to be used as a major transit point for the large-scale trafficking of illicit drugs because of its location at the crossroads of the main producing countries in South America and the consumer markets in North America and Europe.
While the total amount of cocaine smuggled to North America has declined due to reduced demand, the proportion transiting through Central America has increased.
The United States is the main destination for illicit drug shipments. Drug trafficking organizations based in Mexico dominate the market for cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine in the United States.
In 2009, an increase in the abuse of all drugs except cocaine was reported in the United
…show more content…
According to estimates, about 35 tons of heroin are smuggled into Africa each year, of which more than half is used to supply Africa's drug addicts (an estimated 1.2 million people) with the remainder being shipped on to other regions, in particular Europe.
Asia:
The manufacture, trafficking and use of synthetic drugs has significantly increased in east and Southeast Asia since 2008. Important quantities of methamphetamine were trafficked from the Islamic Republic of Iran and neighboring countries to the region.
Heroin continues to be the primary drug of abuse in China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam, with most countries in the region reporting declining or stable trends in heroin abuse.
An estimated 25 percent of all injecting drug abusers in the world live in east and Southeast Asia.
Drug trafficking is a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. UNODC is continuously monitoring and researching global illicit drug markets in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their dynamics. Drug trafficking is a key part of this research. Further information can be found in the yearly World Drug