UN ISSUES WARNING ON INCREASE IN DRUG ABUSE

ROME -- The supply and use of synthetic drugs such as Ecstasy and
amphetamines is soaring worldwide in part because the public doesn't
realize how dangerous they can be, a UN report said Tuesday.

The report, presented at a news conference in Rome, estimated that global
use of Ecstasy rose by 70 per cent between 1995-1997 and 2000-2001, while
use of amphetamines rose by 40 per cent over the same period. More than 40
million people worldwide used amphetamine-type stimulants, known as ATS, in
2000-2001, the report said.

The report said that seizures of these stimulants rose from around four
tonnes in 1990-1991 to almost 40 tonnes in 2000-2001 and estimated the
global value of the ATS industry at around US$65 billion each year.