Welcome to the global synthetic drug revolution

The global drug trade shows striking regional variations, with different drug preferences in different parts of the world. However, there is a common thread that unites these regions: the ubiquitous rise of synthetic drugs.

Synthetic drugs are the future of drug trafficking. Herbal drugs like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana—drugs that require control of large swaths of land and a favorable climate—are out. Synthetic drugs, which can be produced anywhere with a little money and some chemical know-how, are in.

What began as the opioid crisis in the US has taken the world by storm. And no one is safe. Earlier this month, the UK’s National Crime Agency released its annual serious and organised crime threat assessment, ominously stating that “there has never been a more dangerous time to take drugs.” This is largely thanks to the rise of drugs like “nitazenes” — a synthetic opioid that can be up to 50 times more potent than fentanyl.

These drugs have contributed to a 60 percent increase in drug-related deaths, a trend that looks set to continue given Afghanistan’s ban on poppy cultivation, a major source of heroin for the UK and Europe.

While the UK is dealing with a rise in nitazenes, Africa is grappling with a different but equally alarming trend. The rise of “kush” — a terrifying mix of cannabis, synthetic drugs like fentanyl and tramadol, and ground-up human bones — has led to widespread addiction and overdose deaths.

In April, Sierra Leone’s president called the rise of synthetic drugs an “existential threat” and declared a national emergency to draw attention to the problem. The situation is so dire that cemeteries have pleaded for help protecting them from young men who are digging up skeletons to use in the mix.

In South America, officials are sounding the alarm about “pink cocaine,” an increasingly popular drug that, despite its name, rarely contains cocaine. Also known as “tuci” or “tucibi,” pink cocaine is actually an unpredictable mix of synthetic drugs including ketamine (the fast-acting anesthetic responsible for the shocking overdose death of actor Matthew Perry), MDMA, opioids and methamphetamine. The powerful drug cocktail first emerged in Colombia years ago, but is now widely abused in South America and has recently gained popularity in the U.S.

Yet another synthetic drug, counterfeit Captagon, has exploded in the Middle East. Also known as “poor man’s cocaine,” Captagon is a cheap and highly addictive stimulant used recreationally to fuel ISIS’s violent terror campaign. From 2019 to 2022, authorities in the region seized more than 1 billion Captagon pills, many of which were traced to labs in Lebanon and Syria.

Unfortunately, the world’s most populous region has not been spared. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, authorities seized more than 190 tons of methamphetamine in East and Southeast Asia in 2023 — the highest amount ever. At the same time, new synthetic drugs such as “happy water” and “party lollipops” — which contain ketamine, MDMA and benzodiazepines — have emerged, further complicating the region’s counterdrug response.

Addressing the global shift to synthetic drugs requires innovative thinking and stronger international cooperation. The US-led Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats provides a useful framework to address this shared challenge and push for greater urgency at the international level.

First, in the midst of this ever-changing landscape, the global community needs to create a much larger and more capable system for drug surveillance and detection, similar to the efforts of the World Health Organization to identify infectious diseases. After all, we can’t solve the problem if we don’t know what it is.

This will require greater investment in new technologies and public health organizations, especially in countries that lack the resources or infrastructure to effectively monitor emerging drug threats.

The international community should also build on existing drug control treaties and conventions to develop universal, evidence-based strategies across the continuum of care.

Supply reduction remains a key pillar of the international drug regime, but it must be expanded to include best practices in drug prevention and awareness, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. As our understanding of substance use evolves, we must ensure that access to best practices is not limited to one country or region.

Finally, countries around the world must recognize that a “whole-of-government” approach is necessary but not sufficient to address the complexity and scale of the global drug trade. Instead, the current crisis requires a “whole-of-society” approach.

While governments continue to play an important role in shaping the response to the drug crisis, they must also work with the private sector, non-profit organizations and individuals to develop innovative solutions, stimulate local initiatives and respond to specific community needs.

Synthetic drugs are no longer a uniquely American problem. There are countries that have a synthetic drug problem and countries that don’t yet realize it. The worst possible outcomes of this revolution are avoidable, but only if the world acts quickly, deliberately, and collectively.

There is no time to lose.

Jim Crotty is an associate professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs, a former deputy chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration, and an active member of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime network of experts.