CAN YOU GUESS #1? –
June 21, 2023 – At the same time, the number of people that use drugs in the world will likely stun you. The population of the United States, according to the latest estimates by the Census Bureau is 332 million. And, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a stunning 284 million people used drugs in the world as of 2020. As you can see, this is nearly equal to the population of America – one of the most populous nations in the world. This figure, covering drug users aged between 15 and 64 years of age, marked a 26% jump over the decade that ended in 2010. Comparing this with global population growth, which grew by 13% during the same time period, indicates that drug usage has outpaced population growth.
Not only does drug use destroy countless lives, but the demand for these substances also affects others caught up in the web of global drug demand. Drug trafficking is one of the cruelest industries in the world, where drug mules from both developed and developing countries are exploited by cartels to smuggle drugs globally. According to data from the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, there is not one single country that can be identified as a global drug trafficking hub.
