The first chapter is a status report on the world drug problem. It first reviews the "policy landscape," noting that three international drug conventions have helped to galvanize and guide nations in their development of multilateral drug control systems. The policy review is followed by a discussion of the dynamics of world drug markets, which encompasses the current level of drug use in the world, how the drug problem is evolving, the outlook for world drug markets, injecting drug use and HIV/AIDS, and conceptual advances in drug control. The latter discussion focuses on a holistic approach, a more synergistic approach, and a more dynamic approach. The chapter on trends analyzes the production, trafficking, and abuse of opium/heroin, coca/cocaine, cannabis, and amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). The concluding overview of the report indicates that illicit drug use on a global scale involves less than 5 percent of individuals in the age group 15-64, making the prevalence of global illicit drug use much lower than for tobacco use, which involves approximately 30 percent of the world's population. The production and abuse of both opium and cocaine has declined significantly over the years; however, the available data for cannabis suggest that the cannabis market continued to increase over the last few years. The number of ATS laboratories dismantled increased during the last decade. Seizures of ecstasy continued to increase, although there were signs that the upward trend in ecstasy use may be waning. Conceptual developments in recent years offer prospects of reinvigorated drug-control strategies. 22 figures