International Drug Trends

Global drug trends shape national responses and inform evidence-based policy. The session covers the UNODC 2025 World Drug Report patterns, emerging novel psychoactive substances (NPS) including nitazenes and bromazolam, regional cocaine supply changes driven by Latin American production, the international opioid crisis spreading from North America to Europe, fentanyl penetration into the UK, France and Australia, and country-specific harm-reduction responses. Discussion addresses synthetic-drug precursor trade and the China-India-Mexico supply chain, the Russian and Iranian opioid crises, and the international development cooperation framework for substance-use treatment in low- and middle-income countries.