Cocaine production is at record-high levels, UN says, but drug interceptions mean that less is actually available on the streets

• Cocaine production is at a record-high level, according to a new report by the United Nations.
• The surge in global cocaine supply should "put all of us on high alert," warned UNODC's chief.
• Demand for the drug is also rocketing, after a slump during the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.

Cocaine production is at record levels, with demand for the drug rebounding after temporarily slumping amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Almost 2,000 tons of the illicit drug were produced in 2020, continuing a sharp uptick in production since 2014, Thursday's report said.