The annual report describing the most recent patterns and trends of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and other drugs of abuse in East Asia and the Pacific was released in July 2006. The report, entitled ‘Patterns and Trends of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS) and Other Drugs of Abuse in East Asia and the Pacific 2005,’ is the third report in a series of annual publications for the UNODC Improving ATS Data and Information Systems project, aimed at improving the collection and sharing of ATS data among countries in the region. The report includes regional and national overviews of drug trends in East Asia and Pacific, along with comparative data from the past two annual reports. The report is based on information submitted by drug control agencies in 13 countries in the region. Through the project, these national agencies have developed a network of law enforcement agencies, treatment centres, and research agencies at both the provincial and national levels from which they can collect data. For the third annual report, the countries submitted data to the Drug Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific (DAINAP), an online data collection network. DAINAP was established by UNODC in May 2005 as a replacement for the Regional ATS Questionnaire (RAQ) to enhance the quality and efficiency of data collected in
the region. For the first two annual reports, national counterparts completed the RAQ, a hard-copy survey questionnaire. Member countries can log-on to DAINAP and submit quarterly and annual data regarding recent trends of abuse, health and treatment, arrests and seizures, and data collection networks. The 13 countries which provided data through DAINAP in 2005 included: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, PR China, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The 2006 report showed that methamphetamine and ecstasy continued to dominate the region, with six of the 13 countries reporting methamphetamine as the primary drug of concern, and 8 of the countries reporting an increasing trend of methamphetamine abuse. Seven of the 8 countries which ranked ecstasy as a drug of concern reported an increasing trend of abuse. Thailand and Myanmar reported higher seizures of crystal
methamphetamine, or ice, a higher purity and more potent form of methamphetamine than in previous years. Lao PDR and Cambodia reported seizures of ice for the first time in 2005. Opiates, particularly heroin, and cannabis continue to have a widespread presence in the region. Three countries reported heroin as the primary drug of abuse, while two countries reported cannabis as the most abused drug in the region. Other drugs, including benzodiazepines and ketamine, have emerged rapidly as prominent drugs of abuse. The benzodiazepine nimetazapam was ranked as the primary drug of abuse in Singapore and third in Brunei. The club drug ketamine was reported as a drug of abuse in five countries. Inhalant abuse continues to be an entrenched problem, particularly among urban youth.