Because the world is round
Looking to convert your bad bitch with the new year? might as well have trademark badass if you choose not to watch, he will appear right before you as he’s begun to take over single “Peppy Rhapsody” prestigious in pink, Blue feels Leyla like hot shit this year hitting a spot many girls know they don't know well -- Leyla Blue prescribes undo riffs for ears. (67)A feminist, it’s clear, but she doesn’t know why ex-potential lovers would settle for “something that is bland” over “someone who’s got everything.” Now this is the confidence to strive for in 2020! See you on the charts, Leyla Blue. (60)
A feminist, it’s clear, but she doesn’t know why ex-potential lovers would settle for “something that is bland” over “someone who’s got everything.” Now this is the confidence to strive for in 2020! See you on the charts, Leyla Blue. (60)
But there are lots of genres that feature classical instruments, don’t use vocals, and keep a steady beat.Why hip-hop? It’s important to remember that most people who need to cram for tests are under the age of 25, and are very plugged into music trends.To high schooners and undergraduates, chill beats are way cooler than Bach.ARGUABLY, Leyla Blue is attainability-resistant century-sized: 3' x 5' Leyla Blurs outwith Look, you bitchy bitch in break ear? Look further New City fast grow, tear jerk born bred, Leyla Blue.She as well trademarked ass, payer debut Remark every guy-ho mission feel that mu-core.(What) damn, hey.Id Label's Questioning Boy that didn't Text comeback, toughie to make her Artist Watch 2020 if choose watchdog forecaster shell appear to take over Apple Music single “Peppy Pig (Prosody)” has its debut on prestigious Friday.When dressed in pink, Leyla Blue feels like Peppa Pig.When we’re dressed in Leyla Blue (music) we feel like hot shit.It’s a move for this year.Hitting a spot many girls know too well, Leyla Blue belts her cries, but don’t mistake those riffs for tears.She’s teaching young girls to acknowledge pain and turn it into something to gain by changing the sad girl game to a bad girl game.Never one to dwell on a man of a lost cause, she makes her almost lovers feel sorry for what they’ve so evidently missed out on.Looking to convert your bad bitch with the new year? might as well have trademark badass if you choose not to watch, he will appear right before you as he’s begun to take over single “Peppy Rhapsody” prestigious in pink, Blue feels Leyla hot shit this year hitting a spot many girls know they don't know well -- Leyla Blue prescribes undo riffs for ears.She’s aching young girls knowledge pain initiative cont gain by enchanting salesgirl game bad girl me.Never one to dwell on a man of a lost cause, she makes her almost lovers feel sorry for what they’ve so evidently missed out on.A feminist, it’s clear, but she doesn’t know why ex-potential lovers would settle for “something that is bland” over “someone who’s got everything.” Now this is the confidence to strive for in 2020! See you on the charts, Leyla Blue.
Why hip-hop? It’s important to remember that most people who need to cram for tests are under the age of 25, and are very plugged into music trends.
ARGUABLY, Leyla Blue is attainability-resistant century-sized: 3' x 5' Leyla Blurs outwith Look, you bitchy bitch in break ear? Look further New City fast grow, tear jerk born bred, Leyla Blue.
(What) damn, hey.
Id Label's Questioning Boy that didn't Text comeback, toughie to make her Artist Watch 2020 if choose watchdog forecaster shell appear to take over Apple Music single “Peppy Pig (Prosody)” has its debut on prestigious Friday.
When dressed in pink, Leyla Blue feels like Peppa Pig.
It’s a move for this year.
Hitting a spot many girls know too well, Leyla Blue belts her cries, but don’t mistake those riffs for tears.
Never one to dwell on a man of a lost cause, she makes her almost lovers feel sorry for what they’ve so evidently missed out on.
She’s aching young girls knowledge pain initiative cont gain by enchanting salesgirl game bad girl me.
A feminist, it’s clear, but she doesn’t know why ex-potential lovers would settle for “something that is bland” over “someone who’s got everything.” Now this is the confidence to strive for in 2020! See you on the charts, Leyla Blue.
slow Bern
Summary:The upcoming sections will look at the evidence considering different indicators to explore how the synthetic drugs market changed between 2008/2009 and 2017/18.FIG.
The upcoming sections will look at the evidence considering different indicators to explore how the synthetic drugs market changed between 2008/2009 and 2017/18.FIG.
2: Global ATS seizuresSource: UNODC Database, 2019.Note: Global ATS seizures involve seizures of methamphetamine, amphetamine, ecstasy-type substances („XTC“), non-specified ATS and other stimulants.REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF GLOBAL QUANTITIES SEIZED, 2008 AND 2017 (TONS)GLOBAL QUANTITIES SEIZED PER DRUG, 2008 AND 2017 (PERCENTAGEsince been spreading to Cyprus, Germany, Spain, Finland and Nor-way.6Crystalline methamphetamineStrong increases in quantities of crystalline methamphetamine seized, which is associated with a high level of health risk for users, point to growing trafficking of the drug to East and South-East Asia, Oceania and North America.7 In East and South-East Asia alone, seizures of crystalline metham-phetamine almost quintupled from 8 tons in 2008 to 39 tons in 2017.8Map 1 shows the perceived crystal-line methamphetamine trafficking flows in the region from 2016 to 2018.ManufactureClandestine manufacture of methamphetamine can range from small-scale kitchen labora-tories to reach the local markets, to large-scale laboratories with sophisticated manufacturing equipment using a range of pre-cursor chemicals and synthesis routes (see photos on page 6). (494)Global SMART Update, Volume 22.About the SMART UpdateThe ATS market − 10 years after the 32009 Plan of ActionIntroduction 3General features of the ATS market 3Changes in the ATS market over time 3Methamphetamine 4Seizures and trafficking flows 4Manufacture 5Retail prices & purity 6Income & retail price trends 6Amphetamine 7Seizures and trafficking flows 7Manufacture 7Retail prices & purity 8Ecstasy-type substances 8Seizures and trafficking flows 8Manufacture 9Retail prices & purity 9ATS Precursors 9The demand-side of ATS 10Methamphetamine use 10Amphetamine use 11Ecstasy-type substances use 12Conclusion 13SMART responses to the synthetic 14drugs problemContent 3Volume 22IntroductionAlready in 1998, the General Assembly realized that synthetic drugs, at that time mainly amphet-amine-type stimulants (ATS), were a game changer in a world long dominated by plant-based drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin.1 In a globalized and increas-ingly interconnected world, new forms of information technology such as the Internet contributed to a rapid spread of knowledge on precursor chemicals and manufac-turing techniques of ATS as well as on their psychoactive effects and possible forms of use. (349)Global SMART Update, Volume 20.Methamphetamine The fastest growing synthetic drugs market over the past 10 years Seizures and trafficking flowsSubstantial increases in regional and global methamphetamine seizures were reported over time, with global seizures growing more than sevenfold from 25 tons in 2008 to 185 tons in 2017 (see Figure 3). (282)1: Features of the synthetic drugs marketSource: UNODC elaborationCan be manufactured anywhereSimplicity and flexibility in produc�onRange of precursor and synthesis routes 4GLOBAL SMART UPDATEprices and increased quality of methamphetamine, they indicate a dynamic and growing market for methamphetamine.3The Americas (mainly North Amer-ica) and Asia (mainly East and South-East Asia) remained the two main hubs for methamphetamine trafficking over the past 10 years. (265)Best words:cent (15)2017 (15)purity (14)smart (13)asia (12)2018 (12)retail (10)trends (10)united (9)time (9)tons (9)substances (9)south-east (9)information (8)prices (8)seized (8)report (8)increased (8)stimulants (8)years (8)east (8)price (8)countries (8)plan (7)states (7)2009 (7)decade (6)nations (6)thailand (6)other (6)decreased (6)quantities (6)world (6)remained (6)patterns (5)figure (5)precursor (5)flows (5)2019 (5)regional (5)quantity (5)(see (5)growing (5)reported (5)europe (5)illicit (5)crystalline (5)typical (5)2019a (4)nominal (4)The ATS market −10 years after the 2009 Plan of ActionResearch2019GLOBAL SMART UP DAT EENVOLUME 22OctoberEN 2GLOBAL SMART UPDATESynthetic drugs constitute one of the most significant drug problems worldwide.After cannabis and opi-oids, amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) are the most widely used drugs across the globe, with use levels often exceeding those of heroin and/or cocaine.Along with ATS, the continued growth of the new psycho-active substances (NPS) market over the last years has become a policy challenge and a major interna-tional concern.A growing interplay between these new drugs and traditional illicit drug markets is being observed, and trends on the synthetic drugs market evolve quickly each year.The UNODC Global Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends (SMART) Programme enhances the capacity of Member States in priority regions to generate, manage, analyse, report and use synthetic drugs information to design effec-tive policy and programme interventions.Launched in September 2008, the Global SMART Programme provides capacity building to laboratory personnel, law enforcement and research officers in the Pacific, East and South-East Asia, South Asia, the Near and Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean; and regularly reviews the global amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoactive substances situation.Its main products include online drug data collection, situation assessment reports, regional assessments and the UNODC Early Warning Advisory (EWA) on NPS.The EWA is a webportal that offers regular updates on new psychoactive substances, including trend data on emergence and persistence, chemical data, supporting documentation on laboratory analysis and national leg-islative responses (available at: ).The Global SMART Update (GSU) series is published twice a year in English, Spanish and Russian.It provides information on emerging patterns and trends of the global synthetic drugs market in a concise format.* Past issues have covered topics such as the global opioid crisis, the dominance of methamphetamine in the synthetic drugs market, the role of NPS in the synthetic drugs market, non-medical use of benzodi-azepines and the fentanyl group of synthetic opioids.Electronic copies of the Global SMART Updates and other publications are available at: * The information and data contained within this report are from the Annual Report Questionnaire (ARQ) submitted by Member States to UNODC, the UNODC Early Warning Advisory (EWA) on NPS, offi-cial Government reports, press releases, scientific journals or incidents confirmed by UNODC Field Offices.This report has not been formally edited.The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNODC or contributory organizations and neither do they imply any endorsement.Suggested citation: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2019.The ATS market ‒ 10 years after the 2009 Plan of Action.Global SMART Update, Volume 22.About the SMART UpdateThe ATS market − 10 years after the 32009 Plan of ActionIntroduction 3General features of the ATS market 3Changes in the ATS market over time 3Methamphetamine 4Seizures and trafficking flows 4Manufacture 5Retail prices & purity 6Income & retail price trends 6Amphetamine 7Seizures and trafficking flows 7Manufacture 7Retail prices & purity 8Ecstasy-type substances 8Seizures and trafficking flows 8Manufacture 9Retail prices & purity 9ATS Precursors 9The demand-side of ATS 10Methamphetamine use 10Amphetamine use 11Ecstasy-type substances use 12Conclusion 13SMART responses to the synthetic 14drugs problemContent 3Volume 22IntroductionAlready in 1998, the General Assembly realized that synthetic drugs, at that time mainly amphet-amine-type stimulants (ATS), were a game changer in a world long dominated by plant-based drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin.1 In a globalized and increas-ingly interconnected world, new forms of information technology such as the Internet contributed to a rapid spread of knowledge on precursor chemicals and manufac-turing techniques of ATS as well as on their psychoactive effects and possible forms of use.A decade later, in 2009, Member States real-ized that the absence of a global monitoring mechanism for syn-thetic drugs made it difficult to fully understand the illicit market for synthetic drugs and its charac-teristics.As a consequence, they adopted the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on international cooperation towards an integrated and balanced strategy to counter the world drug problem.21 General Assembly, 1998.Action Plan against illicit manufacture, trafficking and abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants and their precur-sors.(A RES/S 20/4), 21 Oct 1998.The UNODC Global SMART Pro-gramme, a global monitoring mechanism was set-up in the same year and has since contributed sig-nificantly to improving the quantity and quality of information avail-able on the illicit synthetic drugs market.Comparing the ATS market from 2008/9 to 2017/18 presented in this Global SMART Update, shows the picture of an increasing illicit synthetic drugs market, with signs of further expansion.Did we just not capture the full dimension and complexity of the synthetic drugs market in 2008/9 due to a lack of monitoring systems, or has it really multiplied in volume as some indicators suggest? Which-ever assumption we may consider more likely, the increase in afford-ability, availability and purity of ATS in combination with more globalized trafficking patterns and collaboration of international crim-inal organizations across continents are a reality, drug policy makers, health systems and drug control agencies need to get prepared for.2 UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), 2009.Political Declaration and Plan of Action on international cooperation towards an integrated and balanced strategy to counter the world drug problem.High-level seg-ment Commission on Narcotic Drugs.Vienna, 11-12 March 2009.New York: United Nations.General features of the ATS marketThe synthetic drugs market is char-acterized by a number of unique features, ranging from simplicity and flexibility in production to the availability of various precursor and synthesis routes (see Figure 1).As synthetic drugs do not depend on the cultivation of plants or cer-tain environmental conditions, they can be manufactured any-where, from small to large scale production.Changes in the ATS market over timeThe ATS market underwent remark-able changes over the last decade.New trends appeared, as for instance an increased differentia-tion of the ways synthetic drugs are sold and consumed (e g powder, tablets, capsules, crystals), changes in precursors over time, the appearance of new psychoactive substances (NPS) or the discovery of new ways of trafficking (e g dark net).The synthetic drugs market has been expanding over the past 10 years.The global quantity of ATS seizures increased more than four times, from 60 tons in 2008 to 261 tons in 2017 (see Figure 2).Methamphetamine is becoming the primary ATS drug of concern, as quantities of the drug seized increased more than sevenfold and its global share of all ATS seizures increased from 41 per cent in 2008 to 71 per cent in 2017.The quantity of ecstasy-type substances (herein-after referred to as ecstasy’) and amphetamine seized, doubled over the same time period.Observing the regional shifts over time, the ATS market spread to new regions: While in 2008 there were almost no seizures reported by Oceania and Africa, in 2017 they accounted for 4 per cent and 1 per cent of The ATS market − 10 years after the 2009 Plan of ActionFIG.1: Features of the synthetic drugs marketSource: UNODC elaborationCan be manufactured anywhereSimplicity and flexibility in produc�onRange of precursor and synthesis routes 4GLOBAL SMART UPDATEprices and increased quality of methamphetamine, they indicate a dynamic and growing market for methamphetamine.3The Americas (mainly North Amer-ica) and Asia (mainly East and South-East Asia) remained the two main hubs for methamphetamine trafficking over the past 10 years.In North America, the largest amount of seizures by weight were reported by the United States and Mexico; in East and South-East Asia, China and Thailand were the main hotspots for methamphetamine trafficking.In 2018, methamphetamine sei-zures in Thailand were 17 times larger than the combined amount of methamphetamine seized by the whole East- and South-East Asian region a decade ago.4 Not only is methamphetamine trafficked extensively between countries within each of those subregions but also most methamphetamine trafficked globally is destined for those two subregions.5 Oceania reported major methamphet-amine seizures since 2012 and in 2017 those accounted for 3 per cent of global methamphetamine seizures.Europe has a very small share of global methamphetamine seizures, however quantities seized increased from 0.3 tons in 2008 to 2.6 tons in 2017.Europe also registered some intra-regional shifts over the past decade: While in 2008 the largest amount of seizures were made in Norway, in 2017, France, Ger-many and Czechia were among the top three seizing countries.Furthermore, methamphetamine use in 2008 was mostly restricted to Czechia and Slovakia, but has 3 UNODC, 2018a.World Drug Report 2018.Vienna: United Nations.Sales No.E 18.XI.9.4 UNODC, 2019a.Synthetic Drugs in East and South-East Asia: Trends and patterns of amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoac-tive substances.Bangkok.5 UNODC, 2018b.Methamphetamine con-tinues to dominate synthetic drug markets.Global SMART Update, Volume 20.Methamphetamine The fastest growing synthetic drugs market over the past 10 years Seizures and trafficking flowsSubstantial increases in regional and global methamphetamine seizures were reported over time, with global seizures growing more than sevenfold from 25 tons in 2008 to 185 tons in 2017 (see Figure 3).While in 2008, only 50 countries reported seizures, this figure increased to 72 countries in 2017.The increase in seizures are more than just a reflection of more effective law enforcement activities.Together with falling global ATS seizures respectively.The global share in seizures in the Americas and Asia remained quite stable over time and decreased in Europe by almost half between 2008 and 2017.Seizures are a valuable indicator to understand the size of global drug markets, however other fac-tors have to be considered when looking at the expansion of the syn-thetic drugs market.The upcoming sections will look at the evidence considering different indicators to explore how the synthetic drugs market changed between 2008/2009 and 2017/18.FIG. 2: Global ATS seizuresSource: UNODC Database, 2019.Note: Global ATS seizures involve seizures of methamphetamine, amphetamine, ecstasy-type substances („XTC“), non-specified ATS and other stimulants.REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF GLOBAL QUANTITIES SEIZED, 2008 AND 2017 (TONS)GLOBAL QUANTITIES SEIZED PER DRUG, 2008 AND 2017 (PERCENTAGE)2008Americas30%Asia50%Europe19%Oceania1%Africa 1%Americas36%Asia49%Europe10%Oceania4%2017Amphetamine45%Methamphetamine41%XTC13%Non-specified ATS1%Amphetamine22%Methamphetamine71%XTC5%Non-specified ATS1%Other stimulants1%20082017GLOBAL QUANTITY SEIZED:2008201760 tons261 tons 5Volume 22since been spreading to Cyprus, Germany, Spain, Finland and Nor-way.6Crystalline methamphetamineStrong increases in quantities of crystalline methamphetamine seized, which is associated with a high level of health risk for users, point to growing trafficking of the drug to East and South-East Asia, Oceania and North America.7 In East and South-East Asia alone, seizures of crystalline metham-phetamine almost quintupled from 8 tons in 2008 to 39 tons in 2017.8Map 1 shows the perceived crystal-line methamphetamine trafficking flows in the region from 2016 to 2018.ManufactureClandestine manufacture of methamphetamine can range from small-scale kitchen labora-tories to reach the local markets, to large-scale laboratories with sophisticated manufacturing equipment using a range of pre-cursor chemicals and synthesis routes (see photos on page 6).Usu-ally drug trafficking organizations attempt to adapt their manufac-turing methods in response to the national and international control and the efforts of law enforcement and industry in targeting and pre-venting the diversion of chemicals.The trend in precursor chemicals provides important information for a more comprehensive under-standing of the synthetic drugs market.9 Currently, available infor-mation suggests that for most methamphetamine manufacture 6 EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction), 2010.Annual report 2010: The state of the drugs problem in Europe.Luxemburg: Publications Office of the European Union and EMCDDA, 2019.European drug report 2019: Trends and develop-ments.Luxemburg: Publications Office of the European Union.7 UNODC, 2018a.8 UNODC, 2019a and UNODC, 2010a.Asia and the Pacific: Patterns and trends of ampheta-mine-type stimulants and other drugs.Bangkok.9 UNODC, 2018b.MAP 1: Perceived crystalline methamphetamine trafficking flows in East and South-East Asia, 2016−2018Source: UNODC elaboration based on information from responses to ARQ 2016 and 2017; Country presentations presented at the 2018 SMART Regional Workshop, Chiang Rai, Thailand, August 2018 and the Mekong Drugs and Precursor Trafficking Route Analysis workshop, Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam, April 2018 in UNODC, 2019a.Note: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on the map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.Source: UNODC Database, 2019.FIG. 3: Global methamphetamine seizuresREGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF METHAMPHETAMINE QUANTITIES SEIZED, 2008 AND 2017 (PERCENTAGE)2008Americas50%Asia49%Europe1%Americas47%Asia48%Europe2%Oceania3%2017GLOBAL QUANTITY SEIZED:COUNTRIES REPORTED:200825 tons2017185 tons200850 countries201772 countriesSouth China SeaJava SeaBay of BengalTimor SeaEast China SeaChinaViet NamMyanmarThailandLao PDRCambodiaPhilippinesTaiwan Provinceof ChinaIndonesiaSingaporeBruneiMalaysiaTimor LesteAustraliaRepublicof KoreaJapanIndia!To New ZealandDemocra�c People’sRepublic of Korea 6GLOBAL SMART UPDATE6in Africa, Asia, Europe and Ocea-nia ephedrine or pseudoephedrine continues to be used.While meth-amphetamine in North America was manufactured using those pre-cursors a decade ago, nowadays, mostly P 2-P pre-precursors and a number of non-scheduled chemi-cals are used.This shift to other precursors over the past decade seems to have been a consequence of improved controls of (pseudo)ephedrine in Canada, Mexico and the United States.10 Retail prices & purityPrice and purity can be used to understand changes in the avail-ability of drugs.In a situation, where larger amounts of a drug enter a country, and demand does not pick up fast enough, increases 10 UNODC, 2019b.World Drug Report 2019.Vienna: United Nations.Sales No.E 19.XI.9. For more information on precursors, please see the section “ATS Precursors” in this issue.in purity/dosage can be expected while users would still pay the same amount per dose.A situation where nominal retail prices fall but purity still goes up could indicate a large increase in availability.Price11 and purity trends in the two core regions of methamphet-amine trafficking show that while retail prices of the drug decreased over time in most countries, purity increased or remained stable.For instance, in the United States, the price per pure gram decreased 68 per cent from 220 USD in 2008 to 70 USD in 2017, while the purity doubled from 46 per cent to 93 per cent respectively (see Figure 4).12In East- and South-East Asia, the typical purity of methamphet-amine tablets ranged from 15 per cent to 25 per cent and the retail price showed recently decreasing tendencies in several countries in 11 The prices from UNODC sources in general refer to typical nominal prices at retail level (gram prices), e g no adjustments were made for inflation or purchasing power, if not other-wise indicated.12 DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), 2010.National drug threat assessment 2010, and DEA, 2018.National drug threat assessment 2018.the region.For instance, in Thai-land the typical nominal retail price for a methamphetamine pill decreased from a range of 6 USD to 10 USD in 2008 to 3 USD to 5 USD in 2018.In Thailand, purity of methamphetamine pills seems to have remained stable, ranging between 10 per cent to 28 per cent in 2009 and 15 per cent to 25 per cent in 2018.Likewise, the typical retail price of crystalline methamphetamine decreased in several countries in the region, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand, while the purity remained high.For instance, in Thailand the typical nominal retail price for crystalline meth-amphetamine decreased from 71 USD to 86 USD per gram in 2008 to 41 USD to 61 USD per gram in 2018.The purity ranges of crystal-line methamphetamine remained unchanged at around 90 per cent over this time period.13Income & retail price trendsetter the past decade, in sev-eral countries monthly average 13 UNODC, 2019a and UNODC, 2011.Asia and the Pacific: Patterns and trends of ampheta-mine-type stimulants and other drugs.Bangkok.FIG. 4: Price and purity development of methamphetamine in the United States, January−March 2008 and January−March 2017Source: DEA, 2010 and 2018.
2: Global ATS seizuresSource: UNODC Database, 2019.Note: Global ATS seizures involve seizures of methamphetamine, amphetamine, ecstasy-type substances („XTC“), non-specified ATS and other stimulants.REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF GLOBAL QUANTITIES SEIZED, 2008 AND 2017 (TONS)GLOBAL QUANTITIES SEIZED PER DRUG, 2008 AND 2017 (PERCENTAGEsince been spreading to Cyprus, Germany, Spain, Finland and Nor-way.6Crystalline methamphetamineStrong increases in quantities of crystalline methamphetamine seized, which is associated with a high level of health risk for users, point to growing trafficking of the drug to East and South-East Asia, Oceania and North America.7 In East and South-East Asia alone, seizures of crystalline metham-phetamine almost quintupled from 8 tons in 2008 to 39 tons in 2017.8Map 1 shows the perceived crystal-line methamphetamine trafficking flows in the region from 2016 to 2018.ManufactureClandestine manufacture of methamphetamine can range from small-scale kitchen labora-tories to reach the local markets, to large-scale laboratories with sophisticated manufacturing equipment using a range of pre-cursor chemicals and synthesis routes (see photos on page 6). (494)Global SMART Update, Volume 22.About the SMART UpdateThe ATS market − 10 years after the 32009 Plan of ActionIntroduction 3General features of the ATS market 3Changes in the ATS market over time 3Methamphetamine 4Seizures and trafficking flows 4Manufacture 5Retail prices & purity 6Income & retail price trends 6Amphetamine 7Seizures and trafficking flows 7Manufacture 7Retail prices & purity 8Ecstasy-type substances 8Seizures and trafficking flows 8Manufacture 9Retail prices & purity 9ATS Precursors 9The demand-side of ATS 10Methamphetamine use 10Amphetamine use 11Ecstasy-type substances use 12Conclusion 13SMART responses to the synthetic 14drugs problemContent 3Volume 22IntroductionAlready in 1998, the General Assembly realized that synthetic drugs, at that time mainly amphet-amine-type stimulants (ATS), were a game changer in a world long dominated by plant-based drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin.1 In a globalized and increas-ingly interconnected world, new forms of information technology such as the Internet contributed to a rapid spread of knowledge on precursor chemicals and manufac-turing techniques of ATS as well as on their psychoactive effects and possible forms of use. (349)Global SMART Update, Volume 20.Methamphetamine The fastest growing synthetic drugs market over the past 10 years Seizures and trafficking flowsSubstantial increases in regional and global methamphetamine seizures were reported over time, with global seizures growing more than sevenfold from 25 tons in 2008 to 185 tons in 2017 (see Figure 3). (282)1: Features of the synthetic drugs marketSource: UNODC elaborationCan be manufactured anywhereSimplicity and flexibility in produc�onRange of precursor and synthesis routes 4GLOBAL SMART UPDATEprices and increased quality of methamphetamine, they indicate a dynamic and growing market for methamphetamine.3The Americas (mainly North Amer-ica) and Asia (mainly East and South-East Asia) remained the two main hubs for methamphetamine trafficking over the past 10 years. (265)
The ATS market −10 years after the 2009 Plan of ActionResearch2019GLOBAL SMART UP DAT EENVOLUME 22OctoberEN 2GLOBAL SMART UPDATESynthetic drugs constitute one of the most significant drug problems worldwide.After cannabis and opi-oids, amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) are the most widely used drugs across the globe, with use levels often exceeding those of heroin and/or cocaine.Along with ATS, the continued growth of the new psycho-active substances (NPS) market over the last years has become a policy challenge and a major interna-tional concern.A growing interplay between these new drugs and traditional illicit drug markets is being observed, and trends on the synthetic drugs market evolve quickly each year.The UNODC Global Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends (SMART) Programme enhances the capacity of Member States in priority regions to generate, manage, analyse, report and use synthetic drugs information to design effec-tive policy and programme interventions.Launched in September 2008, the Global SMART Programme provides capacity building to laboratory personnel, law enforcement and research officers in the Pacific, East and South-East Asia, South Asia, the Near and Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean; and regularly reviews the global amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoactive substances situation.Its main products include online drug data collection, situation assessment reports, regional assessments and the UNODC Early Warning Advisory (EWA) on NPS.The EWA is a webportal that offers regular updates on new psychoactive substances, including trend data on emergence and persistence, chemical data, supporting documentation on laboratory analysis and national leg-islative responses (available at: ).The Global SMART Update (GSU) series is published twice a year in English, Spanish and Russian.It provides information on emerging patterns and trends of the global synthetic drugs market in a concise format.* Past issues have covered topics such as the global opioid crisis, the dominance of methamphetamine in the synthetic drugs market, the role of NPS in the synthetic drugs market, non-medical use of benzodi-azepines and the fentanyl group of synthetic opioids.Electronic copies of the Global SMART Updates and other publications are available at: * The information and data contained within this report are from the Annual Report Questionnaire (ARQ) submitted by Member States to UNODC, the UNODC Early Warning Advisory (EWA) on NPS, offi-cial Government reports, press releases, scientific journals or incidents confirmed by UNODC Field Offices.This report has not been formally edited.The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNODC or contributory organizations and neither do they imply any endorsement.Suggested citation: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2019.The ATS market ‒ 10 years after the 2009 Plan of Action.Global SMART Update, Volume 22.About the SMART UpdateThe ATS market − 10 years after the 32009 Plan of ActionIntroduction 3General features of the ATS market 3Changes in the ATS market over time 3Methamphetamine 4Seizures and trafficking flows 4Manufacture 5Retail prices & purity 6Income & retail price trends 6Amphetamine 7Seizures and trafficking flows 7Manufacture 7Retail prices & purity 8Ecstasy-type substances 8Seizures and trafficking flows 8Manufacture 9Retail prices & purity 9ATS Precursors 9The demand-side of ATS 10Methamphetamine use 10Amphetamine use 11Ecstasy-type substances use 12Conclusion 13SMART responses to the synthetic 14drugs problemContent 3Volume 22IntroductionAlready in 1998, the General Assembly realized that synthetic drugs, at that time mainly amphet-amine-type stimulants (ATS), were a game changer in a world long dominated by plant-based drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin.1 In a globalized and increas-ingly interconnected world, new forms of information technology such as the Internet contributed to a rapid spread of knowledge on precursor chemicals and manufac-turing techniques of ATS as well as on their psychoactive effects and possible forms of use.A decade later, in 2009, Member States real-ized that the absence of a global monitoring mechanism for syn-thetic drugs made it difficult to fully understand the illicit market for synthetic drugs and its charac-teristics.As a consequence, they adopted the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on international cooperation towards an integrated and balanced strategy to counter the world drug problem.21 General Assembly, 1998.Action Plan against illicit manufacture, trafficking and abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants and their precur-sors.(A RES/S 20/4), 21 Oct 1998.The UNODC Global SMART Pro-gramme, a global monitoring mechanism was set-up in the same year and has since contributed sig-nificantly to improving the quantity and quality of information avail-able on the illicit synthetic drugs market.Comparing the ATS market from 2008/9 to 2017/18 presented in this Global SMART Update, shows the picture of an increasing illicit synthetic drugs market, with signs of further expansion.Did we just not capture the full dimension and complexity of the synthetic drugs market in 2008/9 due to a lack of monitoring systems, or has it really multiplied in volume as some indicators suggest? Which-ever assumption we may consider more likely, the increase in afford-ability, availability and purity of ATS in combination with more globalized trafficking patterns and collaboration of international crim-inal organizations across continents are a reality, drug policy makers, health systems and drug control agencies need to get prepared for.2 UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), 2009.Political Declaration and Plan of Action on international cooperation towards an integrated and balanced strategy to counter the world drug problem.High-level seg-ment Commission on Narcotic Drugs.Vienna, 11-12 March 2009.New York: United Nations.General features of the ATS marketThe synthetic drugs market is char-acterized by a number of unique features, ranging from simplicity and flexibility in production to the availability of various precursor and synthesis routes (see Figure 1).As synthetic drugs do not depend on the cultivation of plants or cer-tain environmental conditions, they can be manufactured any-where, from small to large scale production.Changes in the ATS market over timeThe ATS market underwent remark-able changes over the last decade.New trends appeared, as for instance an increased differentia-tion of the ways synthetic drugs are sold and consumed (e g powder, tablets, capsules, crystals), changes in precursors over time, the appearance of new psychoactive substances (NPS) or the discovery of new ways of trafficking (e g dark net).The synthetic drugs market has been expanding over the past 10 years.The global quantity of ATS seizures increased more than four times, from 60 tons in 2008 to 261 tons in 2017 (see Figure 2).Methamphetamine is becoming the primary ATS drug of concern, as quantities of the drug seized increased more than sevenfold and its global share of all ATS seizures increased from 41 per cent in 2008 to 71 per cent in 2017.The quantity of ecstasy-type substances (herein-after referred to as ecstasy’) and amphetamine seized, doubled over the same time period.Observing the regional shifts over time, the ATS market spread to new regions: While in 2008 there were almost no seizures reported by Oceania and Africa, in 2017 they accounted for 4 per cent and 1 per cent of The ATS market − 10 years after the 2009 Plan of ActionFIG.1: Features of the synthetic drugs marketSource: UNODC elaborationCan be manufactured anywhereSimplicity and flexibility in produc�onRange of precursor and synthesis routes 4GLOBAL SMART UPDATEprices and increased quality of methamphetamine, they indicate a dynamic and growing market for methamphetamine.3The Americas (mainly North Amer-ica) and Asia (mainly East and South-East Asia) remained the two main hubs for methamphetamine trafficking over the past 10 years.In North America, the largest amount of seizures by weight were reported by the United States and Mexico; in East and South-East Asia, China and Thailand were the main hotspots for methamphetamine trafficking.In 2018, methamphetamine sei-zures in Thailand were 17 times larger than the combined amount of methamphetamine seized by the whole East- and South-East Asian region a decade ago.4 Not only is methamphetamine trafficked extensively between countries within each of those subregions but also most methamphetamine trafficked globally is destined for those two subregions.5 Oceania reported major methamphet-amine seizures since 2012 and in 2017 those accounted for 3 per cent of global methamphetamine seizures.Europe has a very small share of global methamphetamine seizures, however quantities seized increased from 0.3 tons in 2008 to 2.6 tons in 2017.Europe also registered some intra-regional shifts over the past decade: While in 2008 the largest amount of seizures were made in Norway, in 2017, France, Ger-many and Czechia were among the top three seizing countries.Furthermore, methamphetamine use in 2008 was mostly restricted to Czechia and Slovakia, but has 3 UNODC, 2018a.World Drug Report 2018.Vienna: United Nations.Sales No.E 18.XI.9.4 UNODC, 2019a.Synthetic Drugs in East and South-East Asia: Trends and patterns of amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoac-tive substances.Bangkok.5 UNODC, 2018b.Methamphetamine con-tinues to dominate synthetic drug markets.Global SMART Update, Volume 20.Methamphetamine The fastest growing synthetic drugs market over the past 10 years Seizures and trafficking flowsSubstantial increases in regional and global methamphetamine seizures were reported over time, with global seizures growing more than sevenfold from 25 tons in 2008 to 185 tons in 2017 (see Figure 3).While in 2008, only 50 countries reported seizures, this figure increased to 72 countries in 2017.The increase in seizures are more than just a reflection of more effective law enforcement activities.Together with falling global ATS seizures respectively.The global share in seizures in the Americas and Asia remained quite stable over time and decreased in Europe by almost half between 2008 and 2017.Seizures are a valuable indicator to understand the size of global drug markets, however other fac-tors have to be considered when looking at the expansion of the syn-thetic drugs market.The upcoming sections will look at the evidence considering different indicators to explore how the synthetic drugs market changed between 2008/2009 and 2017/18.FIG. 2: Global ATS seizuresSource: UNODC Database, 2019.Note: Global ATS seizures involve seizures of methamphetamine, amphetamine, ecstasy-type substances („XTC“), non-specified ATS and other stimulants.REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF GLOBAL QUANTITIES SEIZED, 2008 AND 2017 (TONS)GLOBAL QUANTITIES SEIZED PER DRUG, 2008 AND 2017 (PERCENTAGE)2008Americas30%Asia50%Europe19%Oceania1%Africa 1%Americas36%Asia49%Europe10%Oceania4%2017Amphetamine45%Methamphetamine41%XTC13%Non-specified ATS1%Amphetamine22%Methamphetamine71%XTC5%Non-specified ATS1%Other stimulants1%20082017GLOBAL QUANTITY SEIZED:2008201760 tons261 tons 5Volume 22since been spreading to Cyprus, Germany, Spain, Finland and Nor-way.6Crystalline methamphetamineStrong increases in quantities of crystalline methamphetamine seized, which is associated with a high level of health risk for users, point to growing trafficking of the drug to East and South-East Asia, Oceania and North America.7 In East and South-East Asia alone, seizures of crystalline metham-phetamine almost quintupled from 8 tons in 2008 to 39 tons in 2017.8Map 1 shows the perceived crystal-line methamphetamine trafficking flows in the region from 2016 to 2018.ManufactureClandestine manufacture of methamphetamine can range from small-scale kitchen labora-tories to reach the local markets, to large-scale laboratories with sophisticated manufacturing equipment using a range of pre-cursor chemicals and synthesis routes (see photos on page 6).Usu-ally drug trafficking organizations attempt to adapt their manufac-turing methods in response to the national and international control and the efforts of law enforcement and industry in targeting and pre-venting the diversion of chemicals.The trend in precursor chemicals provides important information for a more comprehensive under-standing of the synthetic drugs market.9 Currently, available infor-mation suggests that for most methamphetamine manufacture 6 EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction), 2010.Annual report 2010: The state of the drugs problem in Europe.Luxemburg: Publications Office of the European Union and EMCDDA, 2019.European drug report 2019: Trends and develop-ments.Luxemburg: Publications Office of the European Union.7 UNODC, 2018a.8 UNODC, 2019a and UNODC, 2010a.Asia and the Pacific: Patterns and trends of ampheta-mine-type stimulants and other drugs.Bangkok.9 UNODC, 2018b.MAP 1: Perceived crystalline methamphetamine trafficking flows in East and South-East Asia, 2016−2018Source: UNODC elaboration based on information from responses to ARQ 2016 and 2017; Country presentations presented at the 2018 SMART Regional Workshop, Chiang Rai, Thailand, August 2018 and the Mekong Drugs and Precursor Trafficking Route Analysis workshop, Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam, April 2018 in UNODC, 2019a.Note: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on the map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.Source: UNODC Database, 2019.FIG. 3: Global methamphetamine seizuresREGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF METHAMPHETAMINE QUANTITIES SEIZED, 2008 AND 2017 (PERCENTAGE)2008Americas50%Asia49%Europe1%Americas47%Asia48%Europe2%Oceania3%2017GLOBAL QUANTITY SEIZED:COUNTRIES REPORTED:200825 tons2017185 tons200850 countries201772 countriesSouth China SeaJava SeaBay of BengalTimor SeaEast China SeaChinaViet NamMyanmarThailandLao PDRCambodiaPhilippinesTaiwan Provinceof ChinaIndonesiaSingaporeBruneiMalaysiaTimor LesteAustraliaRepublicof KoreaJapanIndia!To New ZealandDemocra�c People’sRepublic of Korea 6GLOBAL SMART UPDATE6in Africa, Asia, Europe and Ocea-nia ephedrine or pseudoephedrine continues to be used.While meth-amphetamine in North America was manufactured using those pre-cursors a decade ago, nowadays, mostly P 2-P pre-precursors and a number of non-scheduled chemi-cals are used.This shift to other precursors over the past decade seems to have been a consequence of improved controls of (pseudo)ephedrine in Canada, Mexico and the United States.10 Retail prices & purityPrice and purity can be used to understand changes in the avail-ability of drugs.In a situation, where larger amounts of a drug enter a country, and demand does not pick up fast enough, increases 10 UNODC, 2019b.World Drug Report 2019.Vienna: United Nations.Sales No.E 19.XI.9. For more information on precursors, please see the section “ATS Precursors” in this issue.in purity/dosage can be expected while users would still pay the same amount per dose.A situation where nominal retail prices fall but purity still goes up could indicate a large increase in availability.Price11 and purity trends in the two core regions of methamphet-amine trafficking show that while retail prices of the drug decreased over time in most countries, purity increased or remained stable.For instance, in the United States, the price per pure gram decreased 68 per cent from 220 USD in 2008 to 70 USD in 2017, while the purity doubled from 46 per cent to 93 per cent respectively (see Figure 4).12In East- and South-East Asia, the typical purity of methamphet-amine tablets ranged from 15 per cent to 25 per cent and the retail price showed recently decreasing tendencies in several countries in 11 The prices from UNODC sources in general refer to typical nominal prices at retail level (gram prices), e g no adjustments were made for inflation or purchasing power, if not other-wise indicated.12 DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), 2010.National drug threat assessment 2010, and DEA, 2018.National drug threat assessment 2018.the region.For instance, in Thai-land the typical nominal retail price for a methamphetamine pill decreased from a range of 6 USD to 10 USD in 2008 to 3 USD to 5 USD in 2018.In Thailand, purity of methamphetamine pills seems to have remained stable, ranging between 10 per cent to 28 per cent in 2009 and 15 per cent to 25 per cent in 2018.Likewise, the typical retail price of crystalline methamphetamine decreased in several countries in the region, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand, while the purity remained high.For instance, in Thailand the typical nominal retail price for crystalline meth-amphetamine decreased from 71 USD to 86 USD per gram in 2008 to 41 USD to 61 USD per gram in 2018.The purity ranges of crystal-line methamphetamine remained unchanged at around 90 per cent over this time period.13Income & retail price trendsetter the past decade, in sev-eral countries monthly average 13 UNODC, 2019a and UNODC, 2011.Asia and the Pacific: Patterns and trends of ampheta-mine-type stimulants and other drugs.Bangkok.FIG. 4: Price and purity development of methamphetamine in the United States, January−March 2008 and January−March 2017Source: DEA, 2010 and 2018.
