US faces ‘huge heroin epidemic’

robert99

On the boat
Joined
Jan 24, 2016
Reaction score
266
Location
Beyond The Furthest point of Navigation
PressTV-US faces ‘huge heroin epidemic’: UN
The United States is suffering from a “huge epidemic” of heroin addiction, as cheap supply has pushed the number of users to a 20-year high and increasing drug-related deaths, according to the United Nations.

The number of heroin users in the US reached around one million in 2014, almost three times as many as in 2003, according to the UN's annual World Drug Report released on Thursday.

"There is really a huge epidemic (of) heroin in the US," said Angela Me, the chief researcher for the report. "It is the highest definitely in the last 20 years," she said, adding that the trend was continuing.

The growing heroin epidemic could be related to American laws introduced in recent years which make it harder to abuse prescription opioids such as oxicodone, a powerful painkiller that can have similar effects to heroin, Me said. "This has caused a partial shift from the misuse of these prescription opioids to heroin."

Another reason for the increase in the abuse of heroin is a greater supply from Latin American countries like Mexico and Colombia, which has reduced prices in recent years, Me said.

The United States has also seen a sharp increase in deaths related to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid roughly 40 to 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

report at Number of drug dependent adults up for first time in six years, now at 29 million: UNODC World Drug Report 2016

(there seems to be a lot of cheap illegal drugs around the globe (nearly half a ton of crystalmeth was found in a bust in New Zealand a couple of days ago -see New Zealand's Biggest Ever Meth Bust Is the Latest in a Year of Bizarre Importations | VICE | Australia / NZ- gang violence has increased because of it
According to Havocscope Black Market the big money is be had selling counterfeit drugs and medicines (viagra etc) )
 
Last edited:
More Chinese crystalmeth found in Australia -
Concerns over influx of crystal meth into Australia
Concerns over influx of crystal meth into Australia
Drug gangs behind the flood of mainland-produced crystal meth being shipped through Hong Kong to Australia seem to be trying to expand their trade in the country.

A top regional United Nations drug official expressed concerns over a “steady supply” of meth targeting both Australia and New Zealand. His comments came as charges were filed against 14 people, including eight Chinese nationals, following the seizure of some 200 kilograms of methamphetamine – also known as meth or Ice – worth approximately A$200 million (HK$1.15 billion) on the west coast of Australia last month.

If put on the market, the quantity could have equated to more than two million individual doses.

This was the biggest meth seizure in Western Australia this year, and also the largest since the seizure of more than 320 kilograms of the substance in September 2015.

According to the regional representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Jeremy Douglas, Australian authorities have reported that mainland China is the main source of meth and Hong Kong is used as a transhipment point.

He noted that trafficking syndicates have their sights set in Australia and New Zealand. “Without knowing what the trafficking groups are planning, we doubt they are more focused on Western Australia compared to other parts of Australia or New Zealand,” Douglas said.

“There have been quite a few very large meth seizures over recent months at the Australian border, and just over a week ago in New Zealand, and it is clear organised crime from the region is moving a steady supply towards both countries,” he described.

Australian police seized over A$1 billion worth of meth from a shipment from Asia of silicon bra inserts and art supplies in February. The bust was one of the biggest in Australia’s history and the largest seizure of liquid meth ever.

It is not hard to understand why these countries attract the attention of drug dealers, as the price per kilo of crystal in Australia and New Zealand is the highest in the world.

The latest major operation in Western Australia, by the Western Australia Joint Organised Crime Task Force, began on April 27, following the detection of a suspect commercial fishing boat off the coast, near Geraldton.

Eight Chinese nationals aged between 37 and 56 and six Malaysian nationals were charged late last month with commercial drug importation offences. The eight Chinese citizens were the crew of the fishing boat.

According to Australian authorities, it will be alleged in court that the people charged were part of an organised criminal syndicate, which facilitated the transport of the drugs from the fishing boat to Western Australia.

The maximum penalty for these offences in Australia is life imprisonment.

Western Australia Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Dreibergs said that such a quantity of meth could have caused immense harm in the country.

The Australian Border Force has also intercepted several smaller parcels from China sent to residences in Australia in recent days. Last week, authorities busted 20kg of ephedrine, one of meth’s main ingredients, concealed in hair brushes coming from China and addressed to a residence in New South Wales.