Illicit Drug use in the Asia Pacific Region - Burnet Institute

Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in the Asia–Pacific region
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2 .2 Cambodia
Population: 13,363,421
2 .2 .1 Overview of
recent drug trends
The majority of situation assessments undertaken
in the past few years point to the same
conclusions with respect to type of drugs used
in Cambodia: yama is the most frequently used
drug; cannabis, heroin, opium and ecstasy are
also prevalent . The most common method for
using illicit drugs was by smoking . The study
undertaken by Mith Samlanh–Friends in 2002
showed the most common drugs reportedly
used by the street-based youth interviewed
in the capital, Phnom Penh, were glue (71%)
and yama (65%) . Glue is preferred mainly
by younger (less than 15 years) and poorer
youth, including girls . Heroin injecting was
evident among male street children aged 14+
years in Phnom Penh .
2 .2 .2 Prevalence of drug use
There are no national population estimates for
drug use in Cambodia . The UNODC estimates
a population prevalence of 4 per cent, which
suggests there are about 520,000 substance
users in Cambodia (population of 13 million) .
Data are obtained monthly from up to four
sources: law enforcement, local authorities,
social affairs, and schools using simple
reports . In the August 2005 reports (June
2004 – December 2004) the total number of
illicit drug users across the nine provinces was
estimated to be 5044 people, equivalent to
0 .08 per cent of the population in the nine
provinces (or 0 .15% of the population aged
15–64 years of age) .
2 .2 .3 Drug supply
Cambodia shares borders with the world’s
major producers of opium and heroin . Based
on seizures, street price and availability indicators,
authorities report large quantities
of illicit drugs are entering Cambodia for
domestic consumption as well as transiting
en route to other countries . Law enforcement
authorities in Cambodia, Thailand and
Vietnam believe that the Mekong River, flowing
from Southern China through Thailand,
Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, together with
the road network, is being used to traffic
illicit drugs .
According to the UNODC, drug trafficking
of amphetamine-type substances (ATS)
into Cambodia in 2004 increased ten times
compared to 2003 . Since the mid-1990s
Cambodia has been used for transiting heroin
and cannabis . Cambodia has become one
of the largest sources of cannabis for the
world market . Cannabis is cultivated within
Cambodia on an organised basis for export .
Indicators suggest methamphetamine may be
increasingly manufactured in Cambodia .
2 .2 .4 Drug-taking practices,
risk factors and trends
Due to the lack of surveillance data, the
true nature and extent of drug-related HIV
prevalence and risk in Cambodia remain
unclear . From the limited data available, there
is evidence to suggest an increase in injecting
drug use in major urban centres, and
there is a strong suggestion that factors for
HIV transmission through injecting drug use
(IDU) already exist in Cambodia . The I-RARE
2 .2 .5 Summary table
Estimated number of current drug users 520,000
Main drugs used Yama (amphetamine)
study reported that every injecting drug user
they interviewed in their study said they
reused needles and syringes . The methods
of administration of glue and amphetamines
do not pose a risk of HIV transmission; however,
the behaviours associated with their
use do increase HIV vulnerability through
high-risk sexual behaviour (non-use of
condoms) . However, over the past year there
is evidence of injecting methamphetamine
in Phnom Penh .
Drugs injected Heroin and methamphetamine
Estimated prevalence of
HIV infection among IDUs
37% amongst IDU street-based youth
in Phnom Penh
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Country summaries: Cambodia