Trends in Illicit Use and Controls of Amphetamine Type Stimulants: The Case of Hong Kong

Abstract

In the early 1990s, the United Nations Drug Control Program [now renamed to the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODCCP)] reported that amphetamine type stimulant (ATS) use including amphetamine, methamphetamine, and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) was steadily increasing (1996). The rise in ATS use, first noticeable in North America, Europe, and the Far East, became a global phenomenon by the latter 1990s (UNODCCP, 2002a). This global trend shows no signs of slowing in the 21st century given prevalence estimates. The global annual prevalence of ATS abuse is estimated at 0.8% of the population over 15 years of age or 33.4 million users (UNODCCP, 2002b). One of the most pressing aspects of the increase in ATS use is its concentration in Asia. Currently, two-thirds of the 33.4 million users are in the Asia region. With over 80% of the global ATS seizures concentrated in Asia, China being the main ATS source in the region, there are no indications of a decline in the near future. Within the Asia region, the trends are indeed worrying. Although Japan s association with methamphetamines dates back to World War II, many other Asian countries have recently witnessed dramatic increases in ATS consumption including the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Hong Kong, and mainland China (Laidler, 2002; UNODCCP, 2002b). The Philippines has experienced one of the largest growing methamphetamine problems in Asia in the last ten years. Arrest and accredited treatment center data indicate that over 80% of users report methamphetamine as their primary drug (Philippines Dangerous Drugs Board, 2001). In Manila alone, its use is eight times higher than in the United States (UNODCCP, 2000). Of particular urgency is the dramatic rise in ATS consumption in countries that have had a longstanding association with opiate use. Thailand s heroin epidemics shifted in the 1990s such that methamphetamine use currently represents the most serious drug abuse problem (Poshyachinda, Srisurapanont, & Perngparn, 1999). Similarly, Hong Kong has had a long history with opiates, dating back to the 1800s. This pattern has shifted in the last few years so rapidly that Hong Kong has been identified as experiencing one of the largest rises internationally (UNODCCP, 2002b). This shift to stimulant use represents important challenges for the control and treatment of drug use as the production, distribution, use, and consequences of heroin are significantly different from ATS. In order to understand the challenges in dealing with this shift, this article examines the trends of use, sales, and law enforcement in Hong Kong. The data for this discussion draw from research conducted for the UNODCCP and United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) study on the global drug market and a study on the marketplace of dance drugs.