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A desk displayed intercepted bags of methamphetamines and heroin bricks
Image: Akila Jayawardana/picture alliance/NurPhotoImage: Akila Jayawardana/picture alliance/NurPhoto

War on drugs

The war on drugs encompasses any government-led actions aimed at containing the illegal sale, distribution or use of illegal narcotic substances. The term was coined in the 1970s by then-US President Richard Nixon.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

A Syrian Rebel is holding Captagon pills in his palm that were hidden in an electrical componant

Syrian rebels uncover Captagon drug factory linked to Assad

Syrian rebels uncover Captagon drug factory linked to Assad

Syria's ousted Assad regime denied involvement in the narcotics trade. But rebel fighters say they have found proof.
ConflictsDecember 13, 202401:54 min
A Syrian opposition fighter sits on an office chair posing for a picture at arrivals gate of the Aleppo international airport

From drugs to displacement: Impacts of Syria's reignited war

From drugs to displacement: Impacts of Syria's reignited war

The past week's renewed fighting will have an impact on everything from displacement to the Assad regime's drug deals.
ConflictsDecember 6, 2024
A Taliban member destroys poppy fields in Afghanistan

Taliban poppy ban is economic hit to farmers

Taliban poppy ban is economic hit to farmers

The Taliban haven't offered alternatives after banning the growing of opium poppy — a key cash crop for rural Afghans.
PoliticsDecember 6, 2024
DW Fokus Beitragsstill | Fokus Grenoble Bandenkriminalität

France: Street violence casts a shadow over Grenoble

France: Street violence casts a shadow over Grenoble

Drug gangs are increasingly clashing on the streets of Grenoble in southeastern France.
SocietyNovember 5, 202405:21 min
Mexikos Marine beschlagnahmt 8,4 Tonnen illegale Fracht im Rahmen einer rekordverdächtigen Drogenrazzia

Mexico's navy makes largest-ever drug bust

Mexico's navy makes largest-ever drug bust

Sanho Tree, director of the Drug Policy Project at the Institute of Policy Studies, Washington, D.C., speaks with DW.
October 19, 202404:09 min
Gisele Pelicot arriving at the Avignon courthouse for

Is the Pelicot rape trial sparking #MeToo moment in France?

Is the Pelicot rape trial sparking #MeToo moment in France?

Gisele Pelicot's case is giving hope to France's survivors of rape through chemical submission.
PoliticsOctober 16, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

Captagon tablets in a black plastic bag.

What is the drug Captagon, and how is it linked to Germany?

What is the stimulant Captagon, where does it come from, and what does Germany have to do with its discovery?
HealthAugust 14, 2024
The coastline of western Ireland

Ireland struggles with growing cocaine problem

International drug smugglers are increasingly using Ireland as a back door into Europe.
SocietyJuly 28, 202406:36 min
A bag of pills containing the synthetic opioid fentanyl. The pills are disguised as prescription oxycodone painkillers.

Illicit fentanyl is entering the US at highest rates ever

More than 115 million illicit pills containing fentanyl were seized by US law officials last year.
HealthMay 14, 2024
Man slumps on street bench having apparently smoked synthetic drugs

Nitazenes: The opioids 500 times stronger than heroin

Developed in the 1950s, drugs called nitazenes are causing street deaths in the US and the UK. What you need to know.
ScienceMarch 19, 2024
Homeless drug addicts smoking crack cocaine

Crack and fentanyl abuse on the rise in Germany

Crack is spreading rapidly in Germany, as are synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Both are cheap drugs — and can be deadly.
SocietyMarch 17, 2024
A vehicle carrying suspects arrives at the high security court in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dutch crime boss goes down, but cocaine trade here to stay

The conviction of kingpin Ridouan Taghi ends a violent chapter in Dutch history, but organized crime still looms large.
CrimeFebruary 27, 2024
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