Global Drug Use Reaches 331 Million, Driven by New Synthetics
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has issued a stark warning about a dramatic increase in the availability and potency of new synthetic drugs worldwide. In its 2026 World Drug Report, the agency estimated that 331 million people used a drug in 2024, representing 6.2 percent of the global population aged 15-64, up from 5.2 percent in 2014.
Cannabis remained the most widely consumed substance globally in 2024, followed by opioids, amphetamines, cocaine, and ecstasy. However, the UNODC highlighted a troubling trend: the emergence of novel synthetic opioids such as fentanyls, nitazenes, and orphines, which are being sought as substitutes for heroin.
Unprecedented Spike in New Drug Types
“We have seen an unprecedented spike in new types of drugs on the market, and worryingly, some are more potent or dangerous than before,” said UNODC head Monica Juma in a statement. The agency noted that drug producers are constantly developing new synthetic substances to circumvent regulations and avoid detection.
Drug seizures in 2024 revealed “five times more drug types” than before 2000, according to the report. The number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) reported to be circulating in drug markets reached 755 in 2024, with 118 of these substances reported for the first time.
Shift from Plant-Based to Synthetic Opioids
The global opium and heroin market continues to be significantly impacted by the Taliban’s ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, implemented in 2022. This has pushed drug dealers toward synthetic alternatives like fentanyls. The UNODC warned that “a turn away from plant-based opiates toward synthetics could cause a permanent shift in the global opioid market, with ramifications on how these drugs are used and the harms therein.”
Methamphetamine and Cocaine Markets Expand
The watchdog also observed the emergence of new markets for methamphetamine, produced largely by Myanmar, but also in North America, West and Southern Africa, and Southwest Asia. Cannabis use continues to grow, partly due to legalization and decriminalization; user numbers increased by 40 percent between 2014 and 2024, with nearly five percent of the global population aged 15-64 using cannabis in 2024.
Cocaine output grew more than fourfold over the monitored decade, and traffickers have increased supplies targeting both established markets in Europe, America, and Oceania, as well as new ones in Africa and Asia, the UNODC said.
