Topic: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
All Content
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In Ontario, abuse of 'hillbilly heroin' being replaced by real thing
Heroin use is booming in the Canadian province, almost a year after the regional government tightened access to OxyContin, sometimes called 'hillbilly heroin,' to stem abuse.
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From Brazil to Japan: gun laws around the world
Gun control efforts and results vary widely around the globe. Here's a look at two effective cases and one cautionary tale.
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Gun control after school shootings: Lessons from around the globe
Australia enacted tougher gun laws and saw a drop in school shootings to zero. After the 1998 hand gun ban, the United Kingdom saw a rise in gun-related crimes. Do gun controls reduce gun-related crime?
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Latin America Monitor McAfee flees from Belize authorities - should he fear the police?
John McAfee, a pioneer of antivirus software, is on the run after accusations of murder. He has said he fears for his life if caught by Belizean police, one of the most honest forces in the region.
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Latin America Monitor Honduras to reevaluate gun control laws: How will it impact violence in the region?
In Honduras, citizens are allowed up to five personal firearms. Its lax laws contribute to high murder rates and make it a source for the region's arms traffickers.
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Latin America Monitor Bolivia cuts coca cultivation: What about cocaine?
The United Nations released a report on coca cultivation in Bolivia today showing it has decreased for the first time since 2005. But estimates of cocaine production raise questions.
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Central American peace accord celebrates 25 years, but has it brought peace?
The Esquipulas peace agreement succeeded in ending political and ideological strife, but it failed to create peaceful societies. Today Central America is one of the world's most violent regions.
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Latin America Monitor In historic achievement, Colombian cocaine production plunges...or does it?
Colombian cocaine production fell by 25 percent from 2010, according to US data. But a UN report says otherwise. Why the discrepancy?
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Biden in Honduras: US drug policy under scrutiny
Even staunch US allies in the Americas are urging a debate on drug policy – including legalization – amid spiraling violence in their countries.
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Bolivia drops out of UN drug pact to protect its coca chewers
Bolivia intends to reapply to the UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs, but with a reservation that it does not recognize the ban on chewing the coca leaf, a practice with a long national tradition.
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In extradition of Walid Makled, Colombia weighs ties with US, Venezuela
Both Venezuela and the US seek the extradition of suspected drug kingpin Walid Makled from Colombia. President Santos must decide whether to placate Chávez or Washington.
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Afghanistan poppy production could skyrocket due to spike in prices, drought
Afghanistan poppy farmers see 'cash bonanza' due to price spike, says United Nations, forewarning of increased planting of the opium-producing crop that pads insurgents' wallets.
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Landmark Kenya ruling could see dozens of Somali pirates set free
In a blow to efforts to combat Somali pirates, a senior Kenyan judge said Tuesday that courts here have no power to prosecute crimes that took place outside Kenya’s territorial waters.
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Drug wars in Mexico, Colombia push drug trade to Dominican Republic
As authorities in Mexico and Columbia crack down on the drug trades in their countries and the US-Mexico border becomes harder to sneak across, drug rings are moving their operations into the Caribbean.
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Peru wants more US aid for drug war; new ambassador hints 'no'
Peru, the world's second-largest cocaine producer, has asked for more US aid in combating drug trafficking and blamed Washington's policies for driving coca plant production in Peru.
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In Afghanistan, drug rehab for children
Children in Afghanistan are often fed opium to stop their crying, and many are born to addicts. A few clinics offer drug rehab for youths, but they are scarce and socially taboo.
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At last, a court to try Somali pirates
Most navies catch and release Somali pirates. But Kenya's new pirate court, funded by the UN, aims to bring legal clarity to a complex international crime.
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A three-pronged approach to confront Afghanistan’s corruption
Corruption is not inevitable. Afghanistan should focus on technical, legal, and cultural areas to ease the tyranny of corruption.
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Did US law spur Mexico's meth sales?
The US slowed production of meth by cutting off key ingredients. But a blow to US methamphetamine labs became a boon to La Familia drug gang in Mexico.
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Legalization of drugs spreads in Latin America. Will the US follow?
The 'war on drugs' has failed, some Latin American leaders say. But legalization of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, and other narcotics may not curb violence.
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Report: Big drop in Afghan opium production
But the Taliban, who use the drug trade to fund their insurgency, may have two years’ worth of opium stockpiled.
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Kyrgyzstan weighs opium as industry
As an election nears, a presidential candidate promotes the idea that the opium trade could bring cash to the impoverished Central Asian republic.
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Obama drug policy encourages activists in developing world
At Bangkok meeting, they cheer support for needle exchanges but urge further steps toward 'harm reduction.'
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NATO commanders in Afghanistan wary of antidrug effort
The opium trade helps fund the insurgency but also provides farmers livelihood.
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Rumors of cocaine money taint Ghana vote
The West African nation's status as a drug-trafficking hub has led to allegations of political corruption ahead of Sunday's presidential vote.
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