Drug use worldwide has increased over the past decade and in 2023 reached new record levels, according to the UN's organ for narcotics control and crime prevention (UNODC), which made the report.
Cannabis is still the most common of such drugs, but UNODC also says that production, seizure and use of cocaine have increased significantly in recent years.
The head of UNODC, Angela Me, tells the news agency AFP that cocaine has become "modern for the more affluent society" and means that we are in a "vicious circle" of increased use and production.
Consumption varies between different regions of the world. Synthetic substances such as fentanyl still account for the majority of deaths in the USA, and in West Africa, the use of the pain-relieving opioid medication tramadol has increased significantly.
