Drug Seizures Rise; So Does Demand

VIENNA —  Seizures of cocaine, marijuana and hashish rose substantially around the world in 1984 but did little to dampen the market for the drugs, a U.N. commission on narcotics said Wednesday.

“Cocaine seizures have gone up astronomically,” said Michael Davies of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. “But even with massive seizures of 60 tons in 1984, there was very little change in availability.”

In part of Western Europe, prices dropped 10% to 50% because of increased availability, he said.

Davies and the commission chairman, Tamar Oppenheimer, outlined the worldwide drug problem at a news conference in advance of a commission meeting in Vienna next week. The agency is preparing for a worldwide conference on drug abuse in Vienna in June, 1987.