The Global S.M.A.R.T. Programme: Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends

Overview Regional SMART Workshop, Phnom Penh, 24-25 July 2012

Beate Hammond, Global SMART Manager, UNODC

Structure of presentation

• The global ATS situation

• Filling the knowledge gaps – Global SMART

• News from Global SMART

ATS use is second only to cannabis- Annual drug use prevalence among people aged 15-64 years, 2009/10

11 12

125

14 14

203

56

21 2128

0

50

100

150

200C

anna

bis

Am

phet

amin

es

Ecst

asy-

Gro

up

Opi

ates

Coc

aine

Low

er/ U

pper

Pre

vale

nce

Ran

ge

(in m

illio

ns o

f use

r)

As a percentage of the population aged 15-64:

Cannabis: 2.8 – 4.5%

Amphetamines: 0.3 – 1.3%

Ecstasy-group: 0.2 – 0.6%

Opiates: 0.3 – 0.5%

Cocaine: 0.3 – 0.5%

Source: UNODC, 2011 World Drug Report.

Seizures of major drug-types, 1990-2010* (Index: 1998 = 100)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

35019

90

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

Inde

x: 1

998

= 10

0

ATS Cocaine Heroin and morphine Cannabis herb and resin

* Reported as of 8 February 2012Source: UNODC, 2012 World Drug Report, June 2012.

46,421

51,33954,493

59,07862,269

65,543

58,590

70,40668,200

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Wei

ght (

kilo

gram

equ

ival

ents

)

Totalª Amphetamine Methamphetamine "Ecstasy"-type substances

Source: UNODC Database for Estimates and Long-term Trend Analysis (DELTA).a/ Including seized amphetamine, “ecstasy”-type substances, methamphetamine, non-specified amphetamine-type stimulants, other stimulants and prescription stimulants.

Amphetamine-type stimulants seized worldwide, 2002-2010

Methamphetamine tablets seized in East and South-East Asia, 2008-2010

Source: Based on data collected by the Drug Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific, including data for Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Lao’s People Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

• Global seizures: 45 tons

• 44 per cent increase over 2009

• Reason: high seizures in Mexico, East and South-East Asia

• Higher than amphetamine seizures first time since 2006

• Expansion in the European market

Methamphetamine market increases

“Ecstasy” seizures, by region,2001-2010

Source: Annual report questionnaire supplemented by other official sources.

• Global seizures: 3.8 tons

• Increasing seizures in East and South-East Asia (31 per cent), Oceania, Europe (seizures double)

• United States: increase in availability and use

• Indication of polydrug manufacture, “ecstasy” manufacturing in illicit methamphetamine laboratories

“Ecstasy” market recovers

MDMA content of tablets sold as “ecstasy” in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, 2006-2010

83.2% 84.6%

70.5% 70.8%

82.3%

48%51.8%

33.1%

43.5%

49%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

MD

MA

con

tent

(per

cent

age)

Netherlands United Kingdom

Sources: Charlotte Davies and others, eds., United Kingdom Drug Situation: Annual Report to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) 2010 (United Kingdom, Department of Health, and UK Focal Point on Drugs, 2010).

•Mimic effects of illicit stimulants (e.g. “ecstasy”, amphetamines)

• Not controlled by the United Nations drug control treaties

• Reported in: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, North America

• Ketamine, piperazines (BZP), synthetic cathinones (mephedrone), synthetic cannabinoids (‘spice’), plant-based substances (Kratom)

New Threat: New psychoactive substances

The synthetic drugs challenge• Use: ATS use second only to cannabis, more ATS users

than cocaine and heroin users• Trafficking:

– Global ATS seizures have increased over past decades

– Steady expansion of methamphetamine market – Recovery of ecstasy – New psychoactive substances (bath salts)

• The unknown:– ATS manufacture? Psychoactive substances on

markets? Significant information gaps

Structure of presentation

• The global ATS situation

• Filling the knowledge gaps- Global SMART

• Status of Global SMART

• Objective: Generate and manage information on synthetic and other drugs.

Global SMART (Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting

and Trends) Programme

SMART investments in capacity

• Regional and national capacity building

5 regional workshops (Asia, Latin America)

• National trainings and review sessions (Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines)

SMART investments in capacity

• DAINAP: On-line data collection of drug-related information (response rate=100%)

• Systematic feedback and quality assurance process: Data verification and quality assurance

• Field detection kits for synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals

• Reference standards

• Multilingual precursor dictionary

UNODC forensic science programme

• Computer-based training material

• Analyse and report drug information at national, regional and global level.

Global SMART (Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting

and Trends) Programme

Myanmar: ATS Situation Assessment

National ATS reporting

Indonesia: ATS Situation Assessment (forthcoming)

Patterns and Trends of ATS in East and South-East Asia

2009, 2010, 2011 (South Asia, Pacific)

Regional ATS reporting

Global level ATS reporting

Global level ATS reportingRegular and brief updates on emerging patterns and trends

• Objective: Drug information is used by countries for evidence-based policy and strategic/ tactical interventions.

Global SMART (Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends) Programme

Drug Control Briefs

Regular updates to Member States

Global SMART highlighted the challenge of new psychoactive substances

November 2011: GSU with special coverage

March 2012: Member States adopt resolution on

promoting international cooperation on NPS

Structure of presentation

• The global ATS situation

• Filling the knowledge gaps- Global SMART

• News from Global SMART

SMART currently operates in East and South-East Asia and Latin America

Brunei CambodiaChinaIndonesiaLao PDRMalaysiaMyanmarPhilippinesSingaporeThailandViet Nam

SMART Priority Regions

SMART investors

SMART Scoping study, Pacific SMART in Latin America

West Africa: ATS situation report

SMART in Latin America

• Operational since January 2011• Global SMART Updates in Spanish since 2011• Implemented in close cooperation CICAD/OAS• Initial agreement among countries in the region has

been reached on– need to develop adequate monitoring tools to

review the ATS phenomenon– share data using a questionnaire similar to DAINAP

Scale-up

Further ATS “hotspots”- SMART potentials

SMART Priority Regions

Australia

Canada

Japan

New Zealand

Rep., Korea

Thailand

Brunei CambodiaChinaIndonesiaLaos PDRMalaysiaMyanmarPhilippinesSingaporeThailandViet Nam

SMART Scoping study, Pacific regionSMART in Latin America

ATS “hotspots” - directly affecting East and South-East Asia

• West Africa– Methamphetamine trafficking to East Asia (Rep. of Korea,

Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia)– Methamphetamine manufacturing facilities in Nigeria

(2011,2012)– Report on West Africa presented in June 2012

• Near and Middle East– Methamphetamine trafficking from Islamic Republic of Iran (to

Rep. of Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Philippines) –scoping study

• South Asia– Ketamine manufacture and trafficking (e.g. Hong Kong, SAR)– Trafficking of precursors – ephedrine and pseudoephedrine

pharmaceutical preparations

Global SMART – the way forward

2012• East and South-East Asia Regional Report• National workshops in Asia • Global SMART Update v8• Synthetic drugs panel at CICAD regular session• Study India/Pakistan/Bangladesh (subject to funds)

2013• Commission on Narcotic Drugs 56th session• Global SMART Updates 9,10• Report on new psychoactive substances

Thank you for your attention

More sources for ATS informationwww.unodc.org www.apaic.org

globalsmart@unodc.org