Washington (AFP) - The countries of the American continent have witnessed a significant increase in the cultivation of coca and the production of drugs from them, according to what was announced by the Organization of American States.

The 2022 report on drug supplies in the Americas during the period between 2016 and 2020 indicated that cocaine is gaining momentum throughout the region, as seizures increased from 911 metric tons in 2016 to 1091 tons in 2020.

The data for Colombia showed that "productivity increased due to changes in processing and the use of different coca varieties with a longer shelf life," the report said, and the same applies to Peru.

Laboratories have become more capable and provide faster production, and it has become more accessible to them to obtain the primary chemicals used in the manufacture of cocaine, such as sulfuric acid and potassium permanganate.

All of these factors contributed to improving productivity, while a great disparity was observed between countries in the level of efforts to eradicate coca cultivation, as it increased in Colombia from 18 thousand hectares in 2016 to more than 130 thousand hectares in 2020, while it declined significantly in Peru (from 30 thousand hectares in 2016 to 6272 hectares in 2020) and in Bolivia (from 6577 hectares in 2016 to 2177 hectares in 2020).

"The use of more efficient production techniques and the misuse of chemical precursors have led to an increase in the quantity, efficacy and harm of some drugs," said Luis Fernando Lima Oliveira, Secretary General for Multidimensional Security at the Organization of American States.

The report indicated that the types of drugs available in the market differ from one country to another, as heroin, for example, is not a source of concern except in Guatemala, Mexico and the United States.

In the United States, opioids have become a deadly epidemic, with 107,622 Americans dying from poisoning or overdose in 2021.

The report indicated that the US security services find it very difficult to discover these substances, as due to their high strength, "they are trafficked in small quantities and are usually mixed with other drugs or sold under the name of another drug."

The report warned that one of the trends observed in the United States was the "significant increase in counterfeit pills containing fentanyl", otherwise known as "mixed fentanyl".