By Belarmino Dabalos Saguing, Rome 04.08.2013 2030ICT
Jan 6, 2012 7:00am
Roughly 200 million people worldwide
use illicit drugs The figure represents about one in 20 people between the ages
of 15 and 64.
Australian researchers estimated that
as many as 203 million people use marijuana, 56 million people use amphetamines
including meth, 21 million people use cocaine and 21 million people use opioids
like heroin. The use of all four drug classes was highest in developed
countries.
The 200 million number does not
include people who use ecstasy, hallucinogenic drugs, inhalants, benzodiazepines
or anabolic steroids — just one reason it’s likely a vast underestimate of
illicit drug use, according to lead author Louisa Degenhardt of the Sydney-based National Drug
and Alcohol Research Center.
Up to 39 million people are
considered “problematic” or dependent drug users
to 21 million people inject drugs,
according to the report.
It is possible that injectable drug
users have increased,the practice is a major direct cause of HIV, hepatitis C and to some extent hepatitis B
transmission globally. Cocaine, amphetamine and heroin can be injected
either alone or in combination.
Illicit drugs can have dangerous health effects, including
overdosing, accidental injury caused by intoxication, dependence and long-term
organ damage.
While they may not cause immediate death, they’re thought to
shave 13 million years of the life spans of users worldwide, according to the
report. A 2000 report by the World Health
Organization attributed roughly 241,000 deaths to illicit drug use — double the
number from 1990.
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