Cocaine, opium markets shrink

The United Nations annual drug report said global markets for cocaine, opiates and cannabis are either steady or are declining.



The reports said opium cultivation in Afghanistan fell by 19% in 2008 while cocaine production in Colombia dropped by 28%.



The reports also said consumption in major Western markets is either stable or declining.



However, the production and consumption of synthetic drugs are thought to be growing as they shift increasingly to the developing world.