United Nations' drug experts are worried that the collapse of opium production in Afghanistan will boost demand for new and dangerous alternative products around the world.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna warned on Wednesday in particular against the synthetic heroin substitute nitazene, which has already led to deaths in several European countries.
The cultivation of opium poppy, from which the heroin raw material opium is obtained, was banned in Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2022. As a result, global opium production fell by 74% last year to just under 2,000 tons, according to the UNODC World Drug Report.
While no supply bottleneck has yet been seen on the market, UNODC expert Thomas Pietschmann warned "the shortage is going to come. And then there could be the problem."
If heroin users are not increasingly supplied with alternative medical preparations in the event of a shortage, they could turn to illegal, synthetic substitute drugs such as nitrates or fentanyl, the report said. These substances have a stronger effect than heroin and therefore bring with them a higher risk of fatal overdose.
The report says 292 million people use drugs worldwide, which is 20% more than ten years ago. Cannabis users account for the largest share - 228 million.
The UNODC experts also expressed concern about the sharp increase in the production and consumption of cocaine. This not only leads to violence in South America and the Caribbean, but also to health problems in Europe, they said.