Misuse of opioids such as tramadol and fentanyl is 'global epidemic', report finds
UN figures reveal deepening opioid crisis in Africa, with cocaine and opium production at records levels worldwide
The Guardian (UK)
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
The misuse of pharmaceutical opioids is fast becoming a “global epidemic”, with the largest quantities being seized in African countries for the second year in a row, according to the UN World Drug Report 2018. While huge attention has been paid to the opioid crisis in the US – where the misuse of prescription drugs like fentanyl dominates – figures released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has revealed seizures in Africa of opioids now account for 87% of the global total. Unlike in the US, the seizures – concentrated in west, central and north Africa – have largely consisted of the drug tramadol, followed by codeine.
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