Which drugs do people take? The Guardian/Mixmag survey is one attempt to explain the facts behind this controversial issue - which sees users claim that more of them use cannabis than energy drinks.

Contrary to the impression that India is being used as a transit point by international traffickers to smuggle Afghan heroin to both Europe and the US, the United Nations drug report, 2011, has said that India is the biggest consumer of heroin. Of the 40 tonnes produced in south Asia, nearly 17...

The U.N. agency that fights drugs and crime estimated that cocaine trafficking is generating some $900 million annually in West and Central Africa as South American cartels use the shortest route to transport drugs to Europe.

Bolivia has signed an agreement with the US and Brazil to help reduce the production of illegal cocaine. The US and Brazil will provide technical assistance, including satellite monitoring of coca crops.

Ricardo Soberon, the reformist head of DEVIDA, the Peruvian drug agency, has been fired and replaced. Soberon made waves last August when he implemented a temporary ban on forced eradication of coca plants, taking the US Embassy by surprise, but that was soon reversed on the orders of his boss,...

This paper summarises data for the prevalence, correlates, and probable adverse health consequences of problem use of amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, and opioids. We discuss findings from systematic reviews of the prevalence of illicit drug use and dependence, remission from dependence, and...

The Brazilian government launched a war on what it called a "crack epidemic", including medical treatment for dependent users and a crackdown on trafficking, particularly in border areas.

The Global Drug Survey is an anonymous online survey that addresses how people are using illegal drugs as well as alcohol, tobacco and prescription medications. It combines basic information on what drugs people use, how often they take them, and the medical, social and legal consequences of...

Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos, drew attention to the damage suffered by drug producing nations in Latin America as they continue to serve the growing demand for drugs in the consuming nations of the west. His voice is becoming the key one in trying to set the terms for a new...

In a bid to increase the efficiency and responsiveness of Paraguay in tackling the combined threats of illicit drugs, trafficking and transnational organized crime, UNODC and the Government of Paraguay have launched a four-year national integrated programme to strengthen security at the national...

For thousands of prison inmates convicted of crack cocaine charges, the prison doors will be opening early, thanks to sentencing changes easing the disparity between the penalties for possessing or distributing crack vs. powder cocaine.