By Matija Šerić
Until recently, when people spoke about vices affecting Croatian society, they primarily thought of alcohol, nicotine, gambling, or prostitution. Although drugs were mentioned in schools and in public discourse, there was a widespread belief that this was some exotic vice coming from South America, reserved for a financially privileged minority. Such a view was not specific only to Croatia but was common in many other European countries as well. However, reality is far darker.
Drugs – The Most Destructive Vice
In recent times, drugs—narcotics—have taken the leading place among global vices, including in Europe and Croatia. They are undoubtedly the most destructive vice. For those of us not involved in the use, cultivation, or distribution of drugs, it is shocking how present narcotics are in community life, especially among young people.
It is an open secret that occasional users and addicts in medium and large European cities can easily find drugs every night during a night out. The illegal drug trade has become the most sinister disease of modern humanity, particularly affecting the younger population. Drugs are a disease of both society and individuals. They are more dangerous than coronavirus, HIV, tumors, terrorist groups, or any state. Drugs know no borders; they destroy societies from within—and they do so very efficiently.
Definition of Narcotics
According to the Croatian Encyclopedia, “narcotics are associated with intoxicating drugs, substances of natural or synthetic origin whose repeated use leads to psychological and physical dependence, such as narcotic analgesics: opium, morphine, codeine, heroin, methadone, as well as opioids—non-morphine and endogenous analgesics such as endorphins, enkephalins, and dimorphine.”
Based on their effects, narcotics are divided into three groups:
- Substances dangerous to human health that are not used in medicine (heroin, mescaline, psilocybin, cannabis, LSD, crack, ecstasy);
- Substances dangerous to human health that are used in medicine (cocaine, methadone, amphetamine, methamphetamine, etc.);
- Substances that may endanger human health but are used in medicine (diazepam, lorazepam, meprobamate, etc.).
Narcotics are consumed by injection, orally, by smoking, or by snorting.
Illegal Drug Trade – A Profitable and Widespread Activity
Drug trafficking (or distribution) refers to the production, sale, transport, and illegal import and export of narcotics. Most countries prohibit drug trafficking. Penalties for drug possession often depend on the type and classification of the drug, the quantity being smuggled, the location of sale, and the method of distribution. If drugs are sold to minors, penalties may be harsher. In some countries, punishment may include long prison sentences, caning, or even the death penalty (such as in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia). When considered from this perspective, drug smuggling is a direct result of the political decision to criminalize drugs.
Estimates suggest that the global narcotics market in 2014 was worth between 426 and 652 billion dollars. Given that global GDP that year amounted to 78 trillion U.S. dollars, the illegal drug trade accounted for nearly 1% of total global trade. The consumption of illegal drugs is widespread worldwide, and authorities face great difficulty in reducing usage rates.
The United States – A Promised Land for Drug Users
According to CIA data, the illegal drug market in the United States is established as one of the most profitable in the world. Americans are the largest consumers of cocaine globally and rank among the highest consumers of other narcotics such as heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 20 million Americans aged 12 or older were users of illicit drugs in 2004, meaning they had used an illegal drug at least once in the previous month.
Marijuana is the most popular drug among Americans. At the beginning of the 21st century, drug use increased in North America and Europe, particularly the demand for marijuana and cocaine. As a result, international criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa cartel and the ’Ndrangheta intensified cooperation to facilitate transatlantic drug trafficking. In Europe, the use of another illicit drug—hashish—also increased.
Drug Routes
Regarding the Latin American route, Venezuela serves as a drug hub for exporting narcotics originating from Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and the rest of South America. The route then continues through Central America, Mexico, and Caribbean countries such as Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico toward the United States and Europe.
To West Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Togo, Ghana), drugs are imported from South America. In these West African countries, money earned from drug trafficking is also “laundered.” East African and Southern African routes are used for distributing drugs from Afghanistan to Europe and the United States. These routes are known as the “southern routes,” with heroin being the most commonly trafficked substance.
In Asia, drug routes pass through South and Southeast Asia, and more recently through Central Asia and Russia, particularly after the collapse of the USSR when borders became more porous. Heroin is massively exported from Asia to Europe and the United States. Afghanistan is the primary source of heroin, along with the area known as the “Golden Triangle” (a term coined by the CIA), referring to the border and mountainous regions of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. Besides the West, drugs from these countries are also distributed to Australia and East Asia. The Iranian route exists but is used less frequently, as the Iranian government has conducted a harsh war against drug cartels.
Online Drug Routes
With the development of the internet, online routes are increasingly expanding. In June 2021, Interpol uncovered an operation across 92 countries that shut down 113,000 websites selling counterfeit and illicit medicines and medical products. The operation resulted in 227 arrests worldwide, the seizure of pharmaceutical products worth 23 million dollars, and the confiscation of approximately nine million devices and drugs, including large quantities of fake COVID-19 tests and face masks.
The World Drug Report 2022 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provides the latest alarming data on the spread of illegal drug trafficking and narcotics consumption worldwide.
Cannabis – Harms Caused by Legalization
The cultivation of cannabis (marijuana) remains a global phenomenon and is largely produced in the same countries where it is consumed. Contrary to the promises of liberal politicians, legalization of cannabis in parts of the world such as North America has accelerated its daily use and increased negative health effects, especially among young people. There has also been a related increase in psychiatric disorders, suicides, and hospitalizations. At the same time, legalization has increased tax revenues and generally reduced arrest rates for cannabis possession.
Dramatic Increase in Drug Production
Unlike cannabis, the cultivation of other drugs is region-specific and often concentrated in a very small number of countries. In recent years, more than 95% of global opium poppy cultivation has taken place in just three countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Mexico. Three countries—Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia—are responsible for nearly all global coca bush cultivation.
The UN report records a record increase in cocaine production and the expansion of synthetic drugs into new markets. Cocaine production reached a record high in 2020, increasing by 11% compared to 2019, reaching 1,982 tons. Around 284 million people aged 15 to 64 worldwide used drugs in 2020, representing a 26% increase compared to a decade earlier. This population is slightly larger than that of Indonesia (273 million) and significantly larger than that of Pakistan (223 million) and Brazil (212 million). Young people are using multiple types of drugs, and usage levels are relentlessly rising.
