According to the United Nations, 1.7 million people in Mexico consume 27.6 tons of cocaine each year. 3.9 tons of heroin is consumed within the country as well.

Up to 3 million people smoke marijuana in Mexico.

Officially, the Mexican Government reports that there are 428,000 drug addicts in the country.

Source:  Tim Johnson, “Rehab clinics turn into killing zones in Mexico’s drug war,” McClatchy, July 22, 2010.

According to an official with Interpol, $1,000 in seed money to start up the manufacturing of counterfeit prescription drugs can lead to potential revenue of $450,000.

In comparison, $1,000 invested into producing heroin will lead to $20,000 in revenue.

Source: “Fake prescription drugs surpass heroin earnings,” San Francisco Choricle, July 11, 2010.

One gram of low quality methamphetamine is sold in Indonesia for $88 (800,000 Indonesian Rupiah). Heroin is sold on the black market for up to twice that amount.

Source: “VP warns of dangerous, ‘cheap’ addiction,” Jakarta Post, June 27, 2010.

In addition to producing 330 tons of opiates in 2009 (17 percent of world cultivation), Burma/Myanmar has 66,000 domestic heroin users and 67,000 domestic opiate users within its border.

Source: “Producing drugs for the region, fuelling addiction at home,” IRIN, June 25, 2010.

Over one million people around the world are estimated to be involved in trafficking opium and heroin around the world.

Source:  UNODC, “World Drug Report 2010,” Chapter 1 Section 1.2, June 2010, page 37.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the global market value of the opium and heroin trade is $65 Billion. The heroin market alone is worth $55 Billion.

More than 15 million people around the world use illegal opiate products each year.

Source: UNODC, “World Drug Report 2010,” Chapter 1 Section 1.2, June 2010, page 37.

Opium trafficking in Pakistan is a $1 Billion industry.

Source:  UNODC, “The Globalization of Crime,” Chapter 11: Regions Under Stress, June 2010.

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) earns between $50 Million to $100 Million a year from heroin trafficking.

Source:  UNODC, “The Globalization of Crime,” Chapter 5: Heroin, June 2010.

Drug traffickers in Iran earn between $450 Million to $600 Million a year from trafficking heroin.

Source:  UNODC, “The Globalization of Crime,” Chapter 5: Heroin, June 2010.

The Government of Afghanistan seizes on average 1 percent of the opium produced within the country.

Source:  UNODC, “The Globalization of Crime,” Chapter 5: Heroin, June 2010.