Acknowledgements The Improving ATS Data and Information Systems project is managed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific. It is the primary mechanism in the region for monitoring drug abuse patterns and trends and for disseminating the most up-to-date information on those patterns and trends. Grateful appreciation is expressed to the national drug control agencies participating in the Drug Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific (DAINAP) in Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam and to the staff of each agency and affiliated office for compiling and submitting the data requested and for reviewing and clarifying their data submissions prior to publication of the report. Without the significant effort of the 13 national coordinators and drug control agencies participating in the DAINAP surveillance project, this report could not have been compiled. Particular acknowledgement is given to the Governments of Australia and Japan for providing funding to support the development and maintenance of this activity. The core team that prepared this report was comprised of Nicholas J. Kozel, Expert Consultant, Johannes Lund, Data Integrity Consultant, Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Regional Project Coordinator for Improving ATS Data and Information Systems (TDRASF97) and Rebecca McKetin, Senior Research Fellow National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. For more information about the Improving ATS Data and Information Systems project, please contact Jeremy Douglas, Regional Project Coordinator for Improving ATS Data and Information Systems (TDRASF97), or visit the project website www.apaic.org 2 Patterns and Trends of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS) and Other Drugs of Abuse in East Asia and the Pacific 2006 A Report from Project: TDRASF97 Improving ATS Data and Information Systems June 2007 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific i This report presents findings on drug abuse patterns and trends from selected countries in East Asia and the Pacific as compiled from information submitted to the Drug Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific (DAINAP). DAINAP is an integral component of the Improving ATS Data and Information Systems (TDRASF97) project and is managed and directed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific Project Coordinator. The information on drug abuse reported in this document was submitted by countries within the East Asia and the Pacific region through DAINAP. These countries vary in their use of terminology related to, and reporting on, abuse of specific substances. In this regard, references to the abuse of drugs by countries within the region as reported within this document and the terminology used to describe it have been adapted to individual country circumstances and conditions and do not imply that these substances are subject to international control. Of particular note, information concerning ecstasy abuse in this report refers to the “reported” abuse of ecstasy pills, which may or may not contain methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or its analogues. In this regard, forensic analyses of pills which were reported as ecstasy within the region in the past have contained various compositions and many the pills actually contained methamphetamine or other synthetic drugs, with or without the presence of MDMA. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific 2007 Publication No. 2/2007 This is not an official document of the United Nations. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area under its authority, or concerning the delimitations of its frontiers and boundaries. ii Foreword Changes in the illicit manufacture, trafficking and abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) continue to be observed in East Asia and the Pacific. As recently established national drug information systems facilitate better understanding of the nature and extent of the ATS problem, a regional consensus has emerged identifying ATS abuse as a leading regional threat. This requires further improved exchange of information. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific project Improving ATS Data and Information Systems (TDRASF97) began implementation in 2002 with the objective of assisting countries in the region to develop the capacity to collect, collate and analyze national data on ATS abuse and to communicate the information through a regional drug information network. Countries participating in the project are Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam while government agencies in Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore participate in the network. The project is supported through funding provided by the Governments of Australia and Japan. The information provided by the Improving ATS Data and Information Systems project has become increasingly important as the abuse of ATS has emerged as the most significant drug abuse problem facing the region. The network provides a unique source of information on patterns and trends of ATS and other drugs of abuse within individual countries and regionally, and since the project began in 2002, annual reports have been published. The current report is the fourth in the annual series. The publications in 2004 and 2005 were based on survey findings from the Regional ATS Questionnaire, and the 2006 and this year’s reports utilized information reported on-line to the Drug Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific. Improvement in the quality and comprehensiveness of national data systems remains a continuing priority. Nevertheless, the project network has now developed into one of the most comprehensive and current information sources available on ATS, and drug abuse patterns and trends in the region. As a result, policy-makers are in a better position to evaluate the drug abuse situation based on actual data and to make evidence based decisions on intervention and prevention strategies. It is hoped that the information on ATS and drug trends presented in this report will support the ongoing development of sustainable drug information systems, and make a practical contribution to addressing the significant threat posed by illicit ATS manufacture, trafficking and abuse in East Asia and the Pacific. Akira Fujino Representative UNODC Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific iii iv Table of contents Page Foreword ........................................................................................................................................... iii Notes to the reader ........................................................................................................................... xv Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... xvi Executive summary .......................................................................................................................... xvii Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Background.................................................................................................................................. 1 Method ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Regional overview............................................................................................................................. 5 Drug patterns and trends ............................................................................................................. 7 Treatment data ................................................................................................................... 11 Arrest data .......................................................................................................................... 13 Seizure data ....................................................................................................................... 15 Forensic information .................................................................................................................... 20 Amphetamine-type stimulants .....................................................................................................21 Methamphetamine ............................................................................................................. 22 Ecstasy ............................................................................................................................... 25 Opiates ........................................................................................................................................ 27 Heroin ................................................................................................................................. 28 Opium ................................................................................................................................. 29 Cannabis.....................................................................................................................................