Rio, 6/27/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Brazil is classified as a moderate drug consumer, but with an upward tendency, in a UN Office Against Drugs and Crime report, "Illegal Drugs - Global Tendencies 2003." The report is based on data from member nations during the period 2000-2001, for people above the age of 15. It shows a worldwide increase in drug use during that period, when the number of drug users rose from 4.2% to 4.7% of the world's population. That means drug users went from 180 million people in 2000, to 200 million in 2001.

With regard to marijuana, the reports says there has been an upward tendency in use in Brazil since 1996, with the country now in second place in Latin America in marijuana use, behind only Venezuela.

As for cocaine, Brazil is in 9th place, with Argentina in first, followed by Columbia and Nicaragua.

The reports cites Brazil as a transit point for chemicals used in manufacturing cocaine (which are sent to Columbia, Bolivia and Peru). Brazil is also a part of the air corridor that transports cocaine to the United States. (AB)