According to the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board, the world has plenty of legally supplied opium to more than meet the world's demand:
The Board, which is currently reviewing the global situation of the lawful production and use of narcotics, noted that during the past five years, the total supply of opiate raw materials has exceeded the total demand for opiates needed for medical and scientific purposes.
That's a bummer for those who have consistently advocated that Afghanistan's opium crop be turned away from heroin and toward supplying medical needs. In the meantime, just because there's plenty of medical opium to go around doesn't mean it's being widely used in all parts of the world:
Meanwhile, the Board expressed concern at the low levels of consumption of morphine and other opiate analgesics for treating pain in the other countries, particularly those in the developing world. Concerns about addiction and the reluctance to prescribe were among the main reasons for this, as cited in a recent survey among governments. The INCB is working with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) to address these issues.
Yes, in parts of the world, governments would rather let you suffer in pain than risk the chance of you getting addicted - or rather, not necessarily you, but whatever unsavory types might wind up diverting medical opiates from their intended use. Yipe!
