Little is known about the drug policies of the former USSR countries except that scarce resources, corruption, and limited experience are major hurdles in confronting narcotics trade and use. For example, Tajikistan shares a large border with Afghanistan making it a major trafficking route for drugs destined for Russia and beyond. Poverty causes many to enter the drug trade including those employed by the drug control agency, police force and security sectors where corruption helps to supplement their low salaries.

Similarly, trafficked drugs travel into Kyrgyzstan from Tajikistan and out to neighboring countries. Kyrgyzstan laws state that the possession of drugs, but not the use of them, is illegal, nevertheless, police allegedly beat, arrest, and incarcerate drug users without provocation or proof of illegal activities and sometimes demand payment or plant drugs on targeted users. Recently, laws were established to address drug users' needs for medical attention, education, employment, and higher living standards yet the number of drug users may be seven times those registered and the government will only allocate funds based on the official registered number. Poor economy, high unemployment and insufficient public education around drug use issues may further curb efforts control drug trade and drug use.

Opium, heroin and marijuana appear to be the major drugs of choice in this region. Recent studies show that drug use, in particular injecting drug use, is growing and that shared needles have become the primary transmitter of HIV/AIDS. It is of international concern that the growing drug use problems within the NW Asian countries will directly lead to an HIV/AIDS epidemic.