Oceania reaches highest per capita use of cocaine globally

2025-06-28 06:58:15

(MENAFN) Oceania, comprising primarily Australia and New Zealand, has the highest per capita use of cocaine globally, according to the latest World Drug Report released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Thursday.

Though the Americas account for the highest total volume of cocaine consumption, the annual prevalence rate — the percentage of the population that uses the drug — is highest in Oceania, placing the region ahead of the Americas and Western and Central Europe.

The report also highlighted that cocaine use among adolescents aged 15 to 16 in Oceania is lower than that of the general population, suggesting that younger users are less affected than adults.

In addition to cocaine, Oceania ranks second in cannabis use, trailing behind North America and ahead of West and Central Africa. The region also sees one of the highest proportions of drug treatment cases related to cannabis, along with parts of Africa.

Australia and New Zealand topped the charts for ecstasy (MDMA) use, further underscoring the region’s significant levels of recreational drug consumption.

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