WORLD LOSING BATTLE AGAINST DRUG ABUSE: UN

The world seems to be losing the battle against the production,
trafficking and use of illicit drugs, a UN report has warned.

The 2008 World Drug Report, released on Thursday in Nairobi,
indicates that an upsurge in supply and the development of new
trafficking routes, mostly through Africa, could eventually
strengthen drug demand in developed countries. This, it adds, will
see the creation of new markets for some of the world's deadliest substances.

The report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime shows that Kenya is
one of the five countries globally that have registered an increase
in the use of heroin.

More Kenyans are using cocaine, with the country also being used as a
trafficking route, the report further indicates.

Main Problem

Bhang remains one of the most abused drugs in Africa, the report
says, with 22 per cent of the drug being produced in the continent.
The report shows that heroin and cocaine finding their way into the
country originate from South Asia and Southern Africa respectively.

The UN report is urging authorities to take urgent steps to maintain
progress in the war against narcotic drugs.

In his International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
message on Thursday, the UN secretary-general Ban ki Moon urged the
world to ensure people who are struggling with drug addiction are
given equal health and social services.