The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that fentanyl overdose deaths have decreased in the United States and Canada, while medical care linked to the synthetic opioid has increased in Mexico.
According to the Global Drug Report, which the UN agency is presenting this Thursday, 74,091 people died in the United States from fentanyl in 2023, while the figure in Canada reached 7,057.
“However, in both the United States and Canada, initial signs of a decrease in the number of deaths were observed in the second half of 2023 and in 2024,” the document highlighted. “In Mexico, however, fentanyl caused a significant increase in the number of people in treatment and care for drug use disorders between 2018 and 2023,” the report adds.
The UNODC noted that the market for synthetic drugs continues to expand globally because their production is carried out close to destination markets, offering criminal organizations low operating costs, few impediments, and lower risks of detection, interdiction, and prosecution.
“Methamphetamine and amphetamine, including captagon, continued to dominate global synthetic drug use and trafficking in 2023,” the UNODC notes.
“Reflecting the increase in methamphetamine and ecstasy seizures, ATS (amphetamine-type stimulants) seizures reached an all-time high in 2023 and accounted for nearly half of all global synthetic drug seizures.”
The Global Drug Report recorded that, by weight, synthetic opioids were the second most seized synthetic drug group worldwide in 2023.
“Fentanyl dominates in terms of the number of doses due to its high potency. Fentanyl trafficking is concentrated in North America, where it was originally used as a cutting agent for established drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, but a distinct market has now developed for the drug, with some people specifically seeking its high potency.”
