The Rise of Synthetic Drugs: A Global Health and Security Challenge

The growing dominance of synthetic drugs is reshaping the global drug market, worsening both the health and security crisis.

As highlighted by the UN-administered International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the global drug market is undergoing a rapid transformation due to the expansion of synthetic drugs, fueling an escalating public health crisis. This issue is further exacerbated by the fact that these substances can be produced anywhere, without the need for large-scale cultivation, making their manufacture and distribution easier and cheaper for traffickers.

Unlike plant-based drugs, synthetic substances are relatively easy to produce and traffic, requiring minimal technical or scientific expertise. Their manufacture demands less labor and land, and the same equipment can be used to create various synthetic substances. As a result, these drugs could surpass some plant-based alternatives in the future, while criminal organizations continuously adapt to evade law enforcement, endangering an increasing number of people worldwide.

Although global demand for plant-based drugs still exceeds the current supply of synthetic substances, seizures of synthetic drugs have already begun to outpace those of some traditional narcotics. In addition to the health risks for users, highly toxic synthetic drugs pose significant safety threats due to hazardous production and trafficking methods.

The production, trafficking, and use of amphetamine-type stimulants are on the rise across the Middle East and Africa, where treatment and rehabilitation services remain insufficient. Africa, in particular, is grappling with increased drug trafficking, with growing evidence of rising cocaine use and its associated harms in several countries.

Drug trafficking is also impeding development in Central America and the Caribbean, while the opioid crisis remains a severe challenge in North America. While Peru recorded its first decline in illicit coca bush cultivation in eight years, Colombia reached a record-high cultivation level in 2023. Meanwhile, the illicit synthetic drug market continues to expand in East and South-East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Island States.

At the same time, while synthetic drugs flood illegal markets, millions of people in low- and middle-income countries still lack access to essential pain relief medications. The availability of affordable, internationally controlled medicines remains a global issue, with unequal access particularly affecting East and South-East Asia, Central America and the Caribbean, and Africa, where current consumption levels fail to meet medical needs adequately.

Ensuring access to internationally controlled substances for medical purposes during humanitarian crises caused by armed conflicts remains a critical concern for the Board. Without decisive action, the synthetic drug trade will continue to evolve, putting more lives at risk. The INCB is calling for stronger global cooperation, urging governments, private companies, and international organizations to collaborate in disrupting supply chains and preventing further harm.