Western drug dependency grows

The United Nations says it's alarmed at the excessive consumption of prescription drugs by people in the developed world.

In its annual report, the International Narcotics Control Board criticises doctors in the west for increasingly prescribing stimulant or sedative drugs to treat social problems, and such ailments as insomnia, anxiety and obesity.

It says that in the United States, there's been a sharp increase in prescribing drugs to children aged under six.

The report criticises the global pharmaceutical industry for aggressively marketing its drugs, and governments for not applying strict enough regulations.

The report also highlights a growing problem of people illegally buying drugs over the internet, often without prescription although it says the internet may be useful in legally supplying people in remote areas, such as the Australian outback.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service