The following table shows you the : Annual prevelance of abuse of the population aged 15 and above. The figures are the results of a UN research project. The total of marijuana smokers worldwide is 147 million, according to this report.
Top 50 Countries in Cannabis Consumption, worldwide.

1. Papua New Guinea 29.5% 2. Micronesia Fed. State 29.1% 3. Ghana 21.5% 4. St.Vincent Grenadines 18.6% 5. South Africa 18.4% 6. New Zealand 18% 7. Australia 17.9% 8. Sierra Leone 16.1% 9. Zambia 15% 10.Nigeria 14.4% 11.Ireland 9.4% 11.United Kingdom 9.4% 13.El Salvador 9.2% 14.Canada 8.9% 15.USA 8.3% 16.Mali 7.8% 17.France 7.4% 17.Morocco 7.4% 19.Mauritius 7% 19.Switserland 7% 19.Spain 7% 22.Dominican Rep. 6.9% 22.Zimbabwe 6.9% 24.Germany 6% 24.Iceland 6% 24.Italy 6% 27.Honduras 5.9% 28.Brazil 5.8% 29.Chile 5.7% 30.Colombia 5.6% 31.Belgium 5.5% 32.Egypt 5.2% 33.Austria 5% 34.Chzech Rep. 4.8% 35.Slovenia 4.4% 35.Denmark 4.4% 35.Greece 4.4% 38.Iran 4.2% 39.The Netherlands 4.1% 40.Kenya 4% 40.Luxembourg 4% 40.San Marino 4% 43.Namibia 3.9% 43.Croatia 3.9% 45.Norway 3.8% 45.RussianFed. 3.8% 47.Argentina 3.7% 47.Portugal 3.7% 49.Ukraine 3.6% 49.Phillipines 3.6%

http://www.unodc.org/pdf/report_2002-06-26_1/report_2002-06-26_1.pdf

I just had a quick run on the report. The report mentions on numerous occasions that the estimates for individual countries are estimates only and should be viewed cautiously. And further states that these data may change dramatically once survery data becomes available.

We all know that the PNG Nacortics Beaurau, the body which supplies information for such reports has been virtually non-existent for some time. I also noted that PNG did not supply the ARQ part II and Part III for the year 2005. So really the sources of data are scrappy and we should not accept the figures at face value.

Further more, according to the report, Oceania comprises only 2% of the global canabis users. That is 2% of 158.8 million estimated global users in 2005. However relative to other regions,the annual prevelance in Oceania is 15.8% (of 158.8 million) and is the highest prevelance rate. In this report prevelence was defined as having consumed marijuana in the last 12 months. PNG is in this 2%.

For PNG, the figure of 29.5% (age group 15-64) canabis use prevelance rate is for the year 1995. I assume this is the percentage of the total PNG population aged 15-64 as no denominator is given in the consumers table. Furthermore, the figure for PNG is more than 10 years ago!! We can not be confident of the accuracy of the source of data for that year also.

Having said all these, we can not deny that PNG does have a canabis problem. I do not think we should be too alarmed on the figures quoted for PNG here. What we should be concern about is how can we make the reporting and the monitoring systems more accurate so that we can have a clear picture of the situation in our country. What we should take from this report is that PNG has to pull up its socks on the reporting and the monitoring of illicit drug production, trafficking and use.

If we do not do something, there will continue to be misreporting of canabis use in PNG. I guess this goes for any reporting systems. If we feed rubbish to the body which does the reporting, alas the UN, we will get back inaccurate data for our country.

This is an outrageously damning report!!!

For sure there is an abuse of marijuana in PNG but not this extreme. Simple maths, lets just take 2000 census data.
population 15-64(2000censors -NSO) = 2,992,642
29% consume = 867,866
20 provinces = 43,393 smokers per/prov. It's a simplified comparison however it is shows absurdity at its best.

Report has the 1995 data, its more then 10years now, by now we could have seen a strain in the health industry or more demand to go to laloki, with that, by now there should be a prolific trading of marijuana offshore. It does not appear that PNG is a major trading route (also in the document). It's extremely a serious offence fabricating data, I reiterate, make those who a incompetent in data collating accountable.

Dr Who has raised valid points, definition of prevalance is unacceptable, too simplified and remotely represents reality, issue must be raised, 1 puff in 1year makes you a prevalant user? I doubt that.

Every mafia in the world would now want to come and cultivate drugs in PNG, maybe extreme but causality, incompetence of individuals within institutions are bringing us down.

tingting tasol.

Kolwan and Dr.Who,
I agree with you, the metholodgy in some of thee reports, leaves a lot to be desired.

The old saying; There are three types of people, liars, damn liars, and statisticians. One can always get a set of statistics to prove one's point, with a little careful culling of the numbers.

That being said, New Guinea Gold is quite famous. (and I don't mean the coffee) Some of it is definitely exported to Australia. The young guys most certainly know of it.

If the quoted figures are correct, PNG is not in the "Stone Age" as many Aussies like to claim. It is actually in the "Stoned Age". For in the intervening decade, the usage will have increased.

Curious......Ralph.

It might be possible that increase of Guns in the highland and the common knowledge of PNG Gold in Australia is truely reflected by the statistics. I even heard that UFO ships dock in Western Province to pickup the premium product.

http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2007/07/13/png-micronesia-top-the-world-in-marijuana-use

PNG, Micronesia "Top The World" In Marijuana Use
By Alex Rheeney in Port Moresby
Friday: July 13, 2007

A United Nations report has singled out Micronesians and Papua New Guineans as the world’s biggest users of marijuana.

The 2007 World Drug Report published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime did not contain any case studies or chapters on dealing the illicit drug use in PNG and Micronesia.

But there was a table towards the end of the report with the heading “cannabis: annual prevalence of abuse as percentage of the population aged 15-64 (unless otherwise indicated)” which indicated that PNG had 29.5 percent and Federated States of Micronesia 29.1 percent.

Both figures were from 1995 so it is not known if PNG and Micronesia are already experiencing high marijuana addiction problems in their public health systems.

PNG Health Minister Sir Peter Barter, while acknowledging PNG’s illicit drugs problem, said the figure quoted by the UN report was exaggerated.

“I cannot believe PNG rates anywhere as high as this, yes we have marijuana but the other drugs at this stage have not reach a world rating,” he said in an email to Pacific Magazine.

PNG medical practitioners have questioned the accuracy of the figures, such as former University of PNG medical faculty tutor now studying for a PHD in Japan, Dr Rodney Itaki.

“For PNG, the figure of 29.5 per cent (age group 15-64) cannabis prevalence rate is for the year 1995. I assume this is the percentage of the total PNG population aged 15-64 as no denominator is given in the consumers table. Furthermore, the figure for PNG is more than 10 years ago. We cannot be confident of the accuracy of the source of data for that year also,” he said.

The 282-page report details how the world’s drug problem has being contained and that the 2005-06 global markets for the main illicit drugs – opiates, cocaine, cannabis, and amphetamine-type stimulants – remained largely stable.

It is not known how the report reached its conclusion on PNG’s marijuana consumption rate but under international drug conventions, all member states including PNG are required to supply drug-related information to the U.N.

But the PNG Narcotics Bureau, the office tasked with such responsibility, has been inactive in recent years – largely due to political appointments to the director-general’s job which led to clashes and law suits between opposing appointees.

Dr Itaki says improving the country’s monitoring systems, which includes the bureau, could be a solution to problems associated with data inaccuracy.

“What we should be concerned about is how we can make the reporting and the monitoring systems more accurate so that we can have a clear picture of the situation in our country,” he said

this article is relevant to this thread, have a read:

http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2007/07/13/png-micronesia-top-the-world-in-marijuana-use

I was suprised that all the young teens I met in North Queensland know about it. The even asked if I had any on me.