Damascus, June 26 (SANA)The world marked the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Friday under the theme “World drug problem: persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses.”

TheUnited Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)released its 2026 World Drug Report, estimating that around 331 million people used drugs in 2024, or 6.2% of the global population aged 15–64. Cannabis remained the most widely used drug with 256 million users, followed by opioids (63 million), amphetamines (32 million), cocaine (25 million) and ecstasy (21 million).

The report warned of increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods and the spread of synthetic drugs, noting that 755 new psychoactive substances were in circulation in 2024, including 118 detected for the first time.

Meanwhile,Syriasaid it has shifted from being a transit and production hub for Captagon under the deposed regime to an active partner in international counter-narcotics efforts.

According to UNODC, large-scale Captagon production in Syria was disrupted by December 2025, with authorities dismantling 15 manufacturing sites and 13 storage facilities since December 2024. Officials said the crackdown has driven up prices, while warning of a possible shift toward alternative synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine.

Coinciding with the international day, the Interior and Health ministries launched a national campaign titled “Syria Without Drugs.”

Drug Enforcement DepartmentDirector Brig. Gen. Khaled Eid said authorities were balancing enforcement with rehabilitation efforts.

He said that since the  liberation, authorities had carried out 1,550 operations, dismantled 90 international trafficking networks and shut down 17 Captagon factories.

Seizures included 697 million Captagon pills, 15 tons of hashish, 10 million narcotic pills, 180 kilograms of cocaine, 84.5 kilograms of crystal meth, 7 kilograms of heroin and 221 tons of chemical precursors.