Are Pakistanis addicted to opioids?

Pakistan is among the top 10 countries that are addicted to opiates, opioids and prescription opioids, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Pakistan features seventh on the list of countries that use opiates, with Afghanistan coming on top. Further, Pakistan is placed on fourth and fifth place for using prescription opioids and opioids respectively.



Source: Recovery Brands



The data also shows that the world’s drug of choice is marijuana. The biggest drug users of the world appear to be from Iceland, with an estimated 18.3 per cent of adults reported as users. This is closely followed by the United States (14.8 per cent).

Iceland, the United States, and Australia are also the countries that have the most reported drug overdoses. However, this may be because of the underreporting in many other countries. Most of Africa and much of Asia and South America have no statistics.

Source: Brand Recovery



The drugs that result in the highest number of people receiving treatment for addiction are opioids which is a group of drugs, including heroin, opium, and prescription opioids to relieve pain. The reason for this is a mixture of the drugs' addictive properties and their accessibility. The highest rates of opioid treatment are seen across Central Asia, where the majority of the world’s heroin poppies are grown.

The countries that have the highest amount of people treated for drugs are New Zealand, Iran, and the United States.

This article originally appeared on IFL Science