Answer:
Look first at supply. More than 40,000 tons of opium were produced a century ago. They are now down by three quarters, to 10,000 tons concentrated in Southern Afghanistan. Coca cultivation in the Andes is down by almost a fifth since 10 years ago (1999). In both regions illicit crops take place in areas infested by armed groups who protect, even promote the drug trade.
Above all, in the past 10 years, we have learned what has to be done to curtail drug cultivation: (i) re-establish government control over the territory, so as to bring security ; and (ii) promote development, so as to eradicate poverty and not only drugs. The steep drop in opium cultivation in the Golden Triangle over the past decade (from 190 to 30,000 ha) was indeed based on two pillars: growth and stability.
Yet, containing a problem is not the same thing as solving it. Every year world markets are still supplied with about 1,000 tons of heroin (equivalent), another 1,000 tons of cocaine and untold volumes of marijuana, cannabis resin and synthetic drugs. So there is still much more to be done.
Step-by-step explanation: