India tops heroin consumption in South Asia

A report compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has ranked India on the top for consumption of heroin among the South Asian nations. According to the report, India consumed 17 metric tonnes (mt) of heroin in 2008 while the current consumption is estimated in the range of 65-70mt.

The production of Opium, which forms the raw material for subsequent refinement to heroin, is totally indigenous. The UN report has confirmed that no foreign sourced opium has been sized nor reported as trafficked into India “Consequently, such a consumption level (six per cent of the estimated global total) would require the illicit cultivation of some 1500 – 2000 hectares of opium poppy on Indian territory “ the report said.

The heroin produced by India is also finding its way into the neighbouring countries where its demand is rising. According to official reports from the governments of Nepal and Bangladesh, almost all the heroin consumed in these countries originates in India. The UN has recommended in-depth heroin consumption and trafficking study to be carried out in India.

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on Jun 28 2010. Filed under World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry