NAIROBI -- The United Nations has called for joint efforts to curb production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs, warning that the global progress on the menace is under threat.
The 2008 World Drug Report, released in Nairobi, indicated 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 added, will see the creation of new markets for some of the world's deadliest substances.
According to the report, Kenya is one of the five countries globally that have registered an increase in the use of hard drugs like opium and heroine.
Speaking during the launch of the report, Reychad Abdool of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) said the use of opium, which is a narcotic drug used in the manufacture of heroine, had increased by 0.1 percent to reach 0.3 percent.
"Consumption is very much market-related. You are looking at supply and demand therefore what has to be done by the law enforcement officers, customs and immigrations has to go hand in hand with education, prevention and treatment," he stated.
The report further stated that Kenya was among the top countries with people injecting heroine but had been stable in the use of cocaine at 0.1 percent.
"If you look at the whole continent, the countries that have the highest rate of injection are Mauritius, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and Togo,"Abdool said.
"Given the relatively high rate of HIV prevalence in Kenya at 5. 1 percent, (although it) has been dropping in the last decade, it' s still an issue of concern because it could reverse this."
It was reported that nine out of 10 drug users used heroine and one out of 10 were women. "Governments must remain vigilant in drug control,"Abdool commented.
However, Kenya's Criminal Investigations Department (CID) noted that there was no upsurge of drug trafficking in the last six months that followed the post election violence.
Kenya's State Counsel Dorcas Oduor said crucial legislation, including the witness protection program to be enforced in July had been put in place to assist in the fight against drug use.
"We cannot decrease drug use unless laws are stiff enough," she said. Oduor said the Anti Narcotics Bill which would also assist in the elimination of illicit drug use is in the committee stage and would be enacted soon.
Other bills she cited were the Anti-Money Laundering and Organized Crimes bills. "These bills are being fought because some people feel they are not homegrown and are meant to benefit other countries but with this report they will now know that we are also affected".
The report showed that heroin and cocaine is finding their way into the country which is originate from South Asia and Southern Africa respectively.
