5 environmental costs of the illegal drugs industry

Wreathed hornbill in Arunachal Pradesh could be impacted by deforestation. (Photo: Aparajita Datta via Wikimedia Commons)

On October 25, Delhi Customs disposed of 328 kg of seized narcotic substances and foreign origin cigarettes worth about Rs 294 crore. The disposal of the narcotic substances is being done at the Biotic Waste Management facility authorised by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at Jahangirpur.

Around the world, the conversation about drugs often revolves around their impact on societal well-being and personal health. However, the production and use of drugs also have a significant environmental impact, regardless of whether they are legal or illegal.

Legal pharmaceutical drugs are a major source of pollution and carbon emissions worldwide. Research indicates that contraceptives and antidepressants can reduce fish reaction times and reproductive rates. They can also lead to the development of drug-resistant bacteria. Their full impact on the environment is yet to be studied and understood.

“Illegal drug production is an even more pressing environmental concern since their producers often ignore laws and regulations intended to protect the environment, deplete resources, pollute ecosystems, and cause other damage without any accountability,” says Abhay Singh, environmental activist.

Here are 5 significant ways they harm the environment:

1. Carbon emissions

Many resources are necessary for the production of any drug, but some drugs have a larger carbon footprint than others. For instance, a 2021 study found that growing a single ounce (0.02 kg) of cannabis indoors has the same environmental impact as burning 7 to 16 gallons (26 to 60 litres) of fuel, depending on the location. Indoor cultivation requires a significant amount of electricity to power the lights, temperature control, humidity control, and other energy-intensive care that the plants need.

Growing drugs outdoors too also causes carbon emissions due to deforestation, transportation, and other processes. “The exact carbon footprint of large-scale drug production is often difficult to measure because illicit drug growers try to remain undetected, but estimates tend to be low,” says Gargi Javeri, who is researching the effects of drugs on forest ecosystems in India.

2. Water pollution

In 2022, it was found that 40 percent of the world’s rivers could contain harmful levels of drugs. The study noted that common medications, as well as illegal drugs, released into the environment are damaging ecosystems. Similarly, a 2023 study by researchers from Mahindra University’s civil engineering departments and scholars from the Indian Institute of Technology found that the once-pristine Durgam Cheruvu in Hyderabad is now a disturbing cocktail of pollutants. The presence of antidepressants, painkillers, anti-obesity medications, and even cocaine in the lake is jeopardising the water and groundwater in the area.

Water usage, too, is a major environmental impact of cannabis cultivation. Cannabis crops require a lot of water (8-10 gallons per plant, per day). This is up to twice as much as grape or tomato plants. In California alone, over three billion gallons of water were used to cultivate cannabis in 2012.

3. Deforestation

Deforestation releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate. Illegal drug producers often clear forests to plant crops, build landing strips, and store and process drugs.

In Colombia, the top coca cultivator in the world, producing 60 per cent of the world’s cocaine, coca growers have cleared remote sections of the rainforest to elude authorities. In 2022 alone, the area planted with coca bushes rose by 13 per cent, and the biggest increase was recorded in Colombia’s border areas. On the other hand, in Manipur, poppy growers have cleared jungles, hills, and even lands in order to boost poppy cultivation output. It has caused extensive deforestation.

4. Toxic waste

Many illegal drug producers fail to follow environmental regulations for disposing of waste. Improperly disposed fertiliser, rodenticide, pesticide, chemical compounds, and byproducts can harm aquatic ecosystems.

The problem is not limited to certain parts of the world. North Brabant, a province in the south of the Netherlands, is a major producer of MDMA, a popular party drug. To produce it, chemicals such as hydrochloric acid and acetone are needed. After the pills have been pressed, a large amount of surplus chemicals is left. Experts in local government say that around 200,000 kg of drug waste is produced every year in the province. Pretty much all of this waste is dumped out in nature, sometimes up to ten times a week.

“Producers of illicit substances often ignore hazardous waste disposal laws to avoid detection. This results in poisoned wildlife and destroyed ecosystems, which can impact humans in complex ways,” says Javeri.

5. Biodiversity

Illegal drug production also diminishes biodiversity in multiple ways. Drug traffickers often clear forests, destroying habitat for plants and animals and driving them towards extinction. For example, more than 10,000 species of plants and animals are at high risk of extinction due to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

Similarly, the districts of Anjaw, Lohit and Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh once had India’s densest forests. Poppy has now replaced jhum cultivation (a traditional form of slash and burn agriculture) in large areas. “The loss of forest areas will shrink the space for many bird species (Arunachal has over 600 bird species) and threaten mammal species in these regions,” says Singh.

The presence of narcotic drugs in aquatic ecosystems is a concern too. For instance, a 2021 study found that cocaine being excreted in the urine of UK’s Glastonbury festival goers was reaching levels known to have an impact on the health of European eels in the nearby Whitelake River.

The environmental impact of illegal drugs is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Only by taking steps to reduce the production and use of drugs can we help to protect the environment and create a more sustainable future.