ASIA - United Nations: drug abuse continues to spread

Rome (Fides Service) - The rising use of heroine in eastern Asia, a region where drug abuse is one of the main factors for the spread of AIDS, in China in particular, is causing serious problems.
In a recent report the United Nations said that drug addicts are increasing in number in China and in Hong Kong and the heroine is the drug most widely used, despite the fact that compared to the past, the cultivation of opium has been reduced.
Since 1996 opium production has been reduced by two thirds in Myanmar, the word’s second largest producer after Afghanistan. In 2003 the area of cultivation was reduced by 24% to 62,000 hectares compared to 81,400 hectares in 2002.
In Laos, third world producer, compared with 1998 opium cultivation has been cut by 55%, and in 2003 by 15%, to 12, 000 hectares compared to14,100 in 2002.
The drop in the production of opium has led to a drop in its use but many drug addicts turned to heroine.
Abuse of ice and popper in east Asia increases and these drugs are produced mainly in China, Myanmar and the Philippines.
In recent years there is been abuse of metanphetamina in most of east and south east Asia, and the drug is used in Japan, Korea and Thailand. This abuse provokes lasting cerebral alterations associated with movement and memory deficits. It was found that in Cambodia the drug is used by school age street children. There is also growing use of exstasy imported from Europe; while cannabis is the most used drug in Australia and New Zealand. (AP) (4/3/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:25; Parole:291)