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Europe's Evolving Drug Landscape
An analysis of key figures, emerging threats, and public health challenges based on 2024 data.
A Complex and Dynamic Situation
The European drug landscape is defined by the high availability of established drugs alongside the rise of potent new psychoactive substances (NPS). This dynamic creates unprecedented challenges for public health, demanding adaptive and robust responses across the continent.
An Overview of Illicit Drug Use
Cannabis remains the most consumed illicit drug by a significant margin, but stimulants and opioids present disproportionate levels of harm. Use is most prevalent among young adults, though the most severe consequences are often seen in older, predominantly male cohorts.
Last-Year Drug Use Among Young Adults (15-34)
This chart illustrates the prevalence of use for major illicit substances among Europe's 15 to 34-year-olds. While cannabis use is widespread, the use of stimulants like cocaine and MDMA is also significant in this demographic, highlighting key areas for targeted prevention efforts.
First-Time Treatment Demand
This chart shows the primary reasons individuals enter drug treatment for the first time. The rise of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) as the leading cause is a critical public health trend, signaling the consequences of high-potency products and changing perceptions of risk.
Cocaine: A Market at an All-Time High
Cocaine availability in Europe has never been higher, driven by increased production and sophisticated trafficking. This surge fuels not only rising consumption and health harms, including crack cocaine use, but also drug-related crime and violence in some regions.
Record EU Cocaine Seizures (Tonnes)
The volume of cocaine seized by EU member states has reached unprecedented levels, increasing for the seventh consecutive year. This chart demonstrates the dramatic growth in trafficking, with seizures surging from 323 tonnes in 2022 to 419 tonnes in 2023.
Wastewater Analysis: Cocaine Hotspots
Wastewater data provides an objective measure of drug consumption. This chart highlights the change in cocaine residues in wastewater between 2023 and 2024 across 72 European cities, confirming high and increasing use, particularly in Western and Southern Europe.
Opioids: An Evolving and Potent Threat
The opioid market is undergoing a dangerous transformation. While heroin continues to cause significant harm among an aging user population, the rise of highly potent new synthetic opioids, especially nitazenes, poses an acute and escalating threat of fatal overdose across Europe.
The Dual Burden of Opioid Treatment
Europe faces a "twin epidemic": providing long-term care for an aging population of traditional heroin users while responding to the acute dangers of new synthetic opioids (NSO) like nitazenes. This chart compares the large number of clients in long-term Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) with the sharp increase in seizures of potent nitazenes.
Drivers of Fatal Overdoses
Opioids are the primary substances implicated in drug-related deaths. This visualization starkly illustrates the scale of the issue: opioids were present in 7 out of 10 fatal overdose cases where toxicological data was available in 2023.
The Challenge of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS)
The NPS market is a rapidly moving target, with unprecedented volumes of substances like synthetic cathinones being seized and new compounds constantly emerging. This creates a "cat-and-mouse" game for regulators and a significant risk for users who may unknowingly consume potent and dangerous chemicals.
Surge in Synthetic Cathinone Seizures (Tonnes)
The market for synthetic cathinones is expanding rapidly, with seizures showing exponential growth. From just 4.5 tonnes in 2021, the amount seized skyrocketed to at least 37 tonnes in 2023, indicating massive bulk importation and a growing domestic market.
Diversity of New Substances Detected (2024)
In 2024 alone, 47 new substances were reported for the first time in Europe. This chart breaks down the types of new drugs appearing, highlighting the significant number of new synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones, and potent nitazene opioids that authorities are tracking.
From Global Trafficking to Domestic Production
The European drug supply is a complex web of international trafficking routes and increasing domestic production. While major ports in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain remain key entry points for cocaine, illicit labs within the EU are producing vast quantities of synthetic drugs like MDMA and amphetamines.
South American Trafficking
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Increased coca production in South America fuels massive cocaine shipments to major European ports (e.g., Antwerp, Rotterdam, Spanish ports).
EU Synthetic Drug Production
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Labs primarily in the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and Czechia produce large quantities of MDMA, amphetamines, and cathinones for the European market.
