Global overview of methamphetamine production and distribution
The World Drug Report 2025, prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), identifies Mexico and Myanmar as the main manufacturing centers for methamphetamine on a global scale. These countries supply the most demanding markets: North America and Southeast Asia, respectively. The cartels that operate in these regions not only control production, but also exercise dominance over entire communities, the document warns.
Key data on seizures and markets
The report details that, in 2023, 482 tons of methamphetamine were seized worldwide, with North America and East Asia concentrating almost 80% of these interventions. In addition to Mexico and Myanmar, other subregional centers include Afghanistan, Czechia and the Netherlands. Mexican methamphetamine has expanded its reach even to Oceania, where seizures linked to precursor chemicals such as 1-phenyl-2-propanone (P-2-P) have increased significantly in the last decade.
In parallel, fentanyl shows a worrying trend: global seizures reached 19.5 tons in 2023, with the United States as the main destination. However, the report notes a slowdown in the growth of these seizures and a reduction in associated overdose deaths, which could indicate a change in consumption patterns.
Impact on public health and treatments
While methamphetamine seizures decreased between 2021 and 2024 in countries such as Canada and the United States, Mexico recorded a 65.9% increase in treatment admissions for the use of this drug in 2023. The data reveals that, of the 132,438 treatments registered for substance abuse, methamphetamine represented the majority (87,327 cases), followed by marijuana (18%) and cocaine (9.1%). This increase contrasts with the figures from 2020, when methamphetamine treatments represented only 41.3% of the total.
The report also warns about the 240% increase in cases of care for disorders related to fentanyl between 2018 and 2023, evidencing an expanding public health crisis. Men are the most affected group, according to data collected in Mexico.
Conclusions and call to action
The report’s findings underscore the need for coordinated strategies between governments and international organizations to combat the production, distribution and consumption of synthetic drugs. The growing demand for treatments in Mexico reflects a structural problem that requires multisectoral interventions.
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