Yan-Ping Model United Nations

May 04, 2017

     The consumption of illicit drugs has led to international circulations of these substances. The production and selling of drugs, generate millions of dollars for cartels.

     Drug trafficking has been around since the 1700s when British merchants sold opium to China. It was even legalized in 1858 as an appropriate way for the United Kingdom to balance their trade deficit with China. Over the years, sales of drugs are no longer seen as a legitimate business, rather, it is a problem that all countries are trying to solve. The problem is most severe in regions such as Central America, East and Central Asia as well as Africa because the environment offers easier cultivation of the ingredients. However, drugs are traded to almost everywhere in the world.

     The methods of smuggling vary widely, from cargo shipping to creative ways of passing the airport security checks. Although large amounts of cocaine, heroin, and other substances are seized annually, there are still drugs that successfully reach their destinations in the black markets, making money for smugglers and dealers while harming the users’ health.