The world seems to be losing the battle against the production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs, a UN report has warned.

The 2008 World Drug Report, released on Thursday in Nairobi, indicates that an upsurge in supply and the development of new trafficking routes, mostly through Africa, could eventually strengthen drug demand in developed countries. This, it adds, will see the creation of new markets for some of the world's deadliest substances.

The report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime shows that Kenya is one of the five countries globally that have registered an increase in the use of heroin.

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