In its World Drug Report 2021, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated that the lockdown restrictions imposed during Covid-19 accelerated drug trafficking via the Internet.
Highlights:
The number of people using drugs increased by 22% between 2010 and 2019, owing in part to an increase in the global Population.
Approximately 275 million people used drugs globally last year, with over 36 million suffering from drug use disorders.
Opioids continue to bear the greatest burden of disease associated with drug use.
During the coronavirus pandemic, there was also an increase in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs.