The number of people experiencing drug dependency in Macau has been continuously dropping, the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) said in a statement.
According to the official statistics, in 2020, the number of registered people experiencing dependency at the Central Registration System for Drug Abusers of Macao has dropped from 346 in 2019 to 219 in 2020 — a drop of 36.7% year-on-year.
Likewise, the average age of the local population registered at the center fell from 36.2 years old in 2019 to 34.5 years old in 2020.
The statistics also show that the drug with the highest rate of consumption continues to be methamphetamine (ice), followed by cocaine and cannabis.
In 2020, ice and cocaine registered a drop in consumption, while cannabis consumption has grown from 6.3% to 11.2% in 2020.
Information provided by the IAS also notes that around 70% of all drug consumption has occurred at home, in local hotels, or at friends’ houses. The bureau notes that drug consumption is occurring more in private and hidden environments, a factor that contributes to difficulties of it being spotted and reported.
Authorities are also concerned about the amounts spent per month on drug consumption. Although dropping slightly, 8.3% of the consumers have reported spending 10,000 patacas or more per month.
According to data from the United Nations’ World Drug Report 2020, by 2018, there was an estimated 269 million people worldwide who had used drugs at least once.
The same report notes that about 35.6 million people worldwide have experienced drug-related illnesses, and some 480,000 died from drug abuse.
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