The global illegal drug market is expanding rapidly, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Cocaine production has reached record levels, while methamphetamine seizures indicate that production is increasing in several regions. At the same time, declining heroin supplies are creating space for powerful synthetic opioids and other new substances that can be more dangerous and difficult to regulate. Authorities have reported particularly sharp growth in new synthetic drugs across Europe, Africa, North America and Oceania. The UN warns that criminal networks are adapting quickly to enforcement efforts and using new routes, technologies and distribution methods.
