Pubdate: Thu, 29 Aug 2013
Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Copyright: 2013 The Commercial Appeal
Contact: http://web.commercialappeal.com/newgo/forms/letters.htm
Website: http://www.commercialappeal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/95
Page: 3A

MARIJUANA MOST POPULAR ILLEGAL DRUG, STUDY FINDS

LONDON (AP) - Marijuana is the most popular illegal drug used
worldwide, but addictions to popular painkillers like Vicodin,
Oxycontin and codeine kill the most people, according to the first
global survey of illicit drug abuse.

In addition to cannabis and opioid painkillers, scientists analyzed
abuse of cocaine and amphetamines in 2010, largely based on previous
studies. The researchers found that for all the drugs studied, men in
their 20s had the highest rates of abuse. The worst-hit countries were
Australia, Britain, Russia and the U.S.

But there were few concrete numbers to rely on and researchers used
modeling techniques to come up with their estimates.

"...We can say definitely that there are drug problems in most parts
of the world," said Theo Vos, of the Institute for Health Metrics and
Evaluation at the University of Washington, the study's senior author.
Vos said people tended to abuse drugs produced close to home: cocaine
in North America, amphetamines and opioids in Asia and Australia. Of
the estimated 78,000 deaths in 2010 because of illegal drug use, more
than half were because of painkiller addictions.

Vos said countries with harsh laws against drugs had worse death rates
for addicts when compared to countries that relied on other policies,
such as needle exchange programs and methadone clinics.
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