Lisbon/Brussels, (EFE).- The increase in supply diversity, with more powerful substances, and consumption have become new challenges for drug policy and health strategy in Europe, where seizures record numbers.
These are the main conclusions of the annual report released today by the Lisbon-based European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), which warns that there is now “a broader range of psychotropic substances, for generally of great power and purity”.
“I summarize it with the following sentence: ‘Everywhere, everything, everyone.’ Established illicit drugs are now widely accessible and powerful new substances continue to emerge,” said EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel.
The report warns that “because they may be sold in the form of similar-looking pills or powders, consumers may not be aware of what they are taking”, noting that 41 new drugs were reported for the first time in the EU in 2022, with what the Observatory already accompanies 930 new substances.
Fentanyl, a future threat
New synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl derivatives, currently play a “relatively small” role in the wider European landscape, although they raise concerns in regions such as the Baltics, where they are associated with an increase in overdose deaths.
“Although the problems in this area are relatively limited at present, this group of substances represents a threat and could have a more significant impact on European health and safety in the future,” the report warns.
Lesser-known substances carry health risks, such as ketamine, which can cause bladder damage, or ‘laughing gas’, with increased use raising ‘health concerns’ in parts of Europe .
Cannabis continues to lead
Cannabis remains the most widely used illegal drug in Europe with 8% of adults trying it in 2022.
In 2021, the amounts of resin (816 tons) and grass (256 tons) seized in the EU reached their highest level in a decade, “indicating high availability.”
New cannabis products pose “challenges” for public health, with acute poisoning from high potency extracts and edibles.
The Observatory also highlighted that there are more and more policies to regulate the therapeutic, cosmetic or food uses of cannabis.
Germany, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and Switzerland introduce “new approaches” to regulate recreational cannabis, which makes it necessary to invest in research on its effects on health.
Record cocaine seizures
Record cocaine seizures were also recorded, 303 tons in 2021, with Belgium (96), the Netherlands (72) and Spain (49) leading the way, with preliminary data for 2022 pointing to further increases.
Criminal networks are increasingly targeting small ports in other countries and the illegal manufacture of cocaine in the EU “is gaining importance”, with 34 laboratories dismantled in 2021.
“It is essential that the EU cooperate with third countries in the global fight against drug trafficking,” defended the European Commissioner for the Interior, Ylva Johansson.
1.3% of European adults used cocaine in the last year.
The report highlights the need to improve forensic and toxicological data to better understand the threats from new synthetic substances and a European network of laboratories will be launched for this purpose.