"The growing trend in abuse and production of psychotropic substances must be reversed.....we must never give in to the human toll illegal drugs are taking on our societies. There are 21 million victims around the world who abuse cocaine and heroin, and 30 million who abuse amphetamine-type stimulants. We cannot ease their suffering, or that of their loved ones, unless we fight this."

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, at the opening of the General Assembly's 1998 Special Session on World's Drug Problem.

 Vital Statistics

• Today there are about 190 million drug users around the world.
  
  
• Drug use has been increasing among the young people worldwide. Most drug abusers are under the age of 30.
  
  
• In 1999, the number of countries reporting injecting drug use was 136, up from 80 in 1992. Of these, 93 countries also identified HIV among drug injectors.
  
  
• Cannabis is the most widely abused drug in all parts of the world.
  
  
• The full economic cost of drug abuse in the United States is estimated at approximately $70 billion annually.
  
  
• Cocaine abuse among the unemployed in Columbia was found to be 10 times higher than among those working.
  
  
• The illicit drug industry is now estimated to be over $400 billion per year.