BANGKOK : The use of synthetic drugs is worsening in East and Southeast Asia, according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC).

Although methamphetamine and amphetamine use in Thailand peaked around 2002 with an estimated 2.5 million users, that number could be on the rise again.

According to the UNODC, a populous and increasingly affluent Asia is driving demand for synthetic drugs. Amphetamine, methamphetamine and ecstasy are now more popular than cocaine and heroine combined.

UN statistics showed that almost half of the countries in Asia reported an increase in methamphetamine and amphetamine use since 2006.

UN experts called the drug a cheap and available tonic for our fast and competitive time. It is used recreationally in the West, but labourers in Thailand take it to help them work long hours and earn more money.

One reason for their spread is that the main ingredients are easily available.

Unlike kitchen labs in the US, methamphetamine is being manufactured on an industrial scale in Southeast Asia, aided by heavy investment from organised crime.

In response, the UN agency is calling for closer cooperation in law enforcement and prevention strategies.

UNODC's SMART (Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends) initiative will also promote increased awareness to curb consumption and trafficking of these drugs. - CNA/ls