The United Nations published and released last week the 2009 annual report of the INCB*, reporting on the latest substance trends from data as obtained from nine regions around the world to include: Africa, Central America and the Carribean, North America, South America, East and South-East Asia, South Asia, West Asia, Europe and Oceania.  Some of the major developments mentioned on the European region, which includes the United Kingdom:  Rejection of the downgrading of MDMA (“ecstasy”) in February 2009 in the UK; decline or stabilisation of the abuse of cannabis and MDMA; decline of cocaine seizures in Western Europe; increase of the illicit market for opiates in Eastern European countries; the UK accounts as one of the regions where most of the heroin is seized in Europe

*  The INCB is an independent body that monitors the implementation of UN drug conventions and monitors the global supply of legal drug.