Illicit narcotics cultivation and processing: the ignored environmental drama

Drug abuse and the environment are among the most preoccupying issues in today's world. Up to now, relatively little attention has been given to linkages between these two issues, which are at first glance unconnected in any meaningful way. More careful analysis identifies major linkages between the environmental impact of illicit drug cultivation, the rapid expansion of illicit cultivation into tropical forest areas, the efforts to eradicate illicit crops and pollution through the processing of raw materials into drugs of abuse. This article reviews those linkages and recommends measures that might be taken to deal with their consequences.