APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) The African Union (AU) Friday joined the global coalition to combat challenges caused by synthetic drug trafficking and use across the world.
Led by the United States, a total of 85 countries and 13 international organizations joined hands to launch a Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drugs last week.
Synthetic drugs, also known as “designer drugs” or new psychoactive substances (NPS), are intoxicating substances manufactured to mimic the effects of controlled drugs.
The drugs, which cause tens of thousands of people in the US alone, are usually marketed as cheap substitutes for real drugs in the form of cannabinoids (chemically similar to marijuana) or cathinones (chemically similar to amphetamines).
AU Health and Social Development Commissioner Minata Samate Cessouma pledged the Union’s commitment to the Coalition to counter the threat posed by NPS.
“Africa is under siege as a major transit hub for trafficked drugs destined for lucrative European markets. We are indeed facing a challenge of epic proportions and find ourselves at crossroads,” said Cessouma during the launch of the Global Coalition.
Africa is experiencing a rise in drug trafficking and related crime including corruption and other forms of transnational organized crime such as trafficking in human beings and firearms, cybercrime, money laundering and illicit financial flows.
On the other hand, the AU says the continent is confronted by rapidly rising consumption of synthetic drugs, an exponential growth in the number of people who use drugs and those who suffer from drug use disorders, especially the youth.
MG/abj/APA