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The production of opium increased sharply in Myanmar, rising to a nine-year high, according to the UN. It touched nearly 795 metric tonnes in 2022, nearly double the production in 2021 - 423 metric tonnes - the year of the military coup. The UN believes this is driven by economic hardship and insecurity, along with higher global prices for the opium resin that is used to make heroin. Angela Me is from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) where she oversees global, regional and national research into drugs and crime. She told Newsday: “The farmer makes some money…the big money is made from the trafficking side.” (Picture: Shows a close-up of a man’s hands as he works in a poppy field in Myanmar's Shan state. Credit: Getty Images.)