The community is faced with various challenges. - Increasing drug use and fatalities prompt EU action.
Europe is grappling with an expanding problem of illegal drugs even with all the efforts made. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) labels this as a growing threat in their 2024 annual report, which also highlights an increase in drug-related deaths. Sadly, Germany leads this disheartening chart.
Dangerous medications include highly potent synthetic substances, new drug combinations, and changing consumption patterns, as the EMCDDA mentions in its report launched in Lisbon and Brussels.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson made it clear during the presentation, "Drug use in Europe is worsening." She added, "Individuals are increasingly combining various drugs, resulting in potentially lethal concoctions of diverse drug types." She further stated, "People have no clue about what they're consuming."
There's a concerning opioid crisis on the rise. The EMCDDA reveals that since 2009, 81 new synthetic opioids have surfaced on the European drug market. Johansson expressed her frustration, "Criminals are continuously creating new drugs to avoid detection."
Approximately 6,392 drug overdose deaths were estimated to occur in the European Union in 2022, with 1,631 of them in Germany. These numbers indicate a slight increase compared to 2021 (6,166), though it's just the minimum estimate considering not all countries report all deaths due to reporting inconsistencies.
Heroin and potent synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl (popularly known as the "zombie drug"), and Nitazen ("synthetic heroin"), which is considered more harmful than Fentanyl and has been on the rise in Europe, contribute to about three-quarters of all drug-related deaths in the EU in 2022.
However, these synthetic opioids are not as widely available in Europe compared to North America. Nevertheless, they are involved in most fatalities along with other substances.
Cocaine, a party favorite and glamorous drug, has also seen a resurgence. The main ingredient of coca leaves is now mass-produced and linked to a fifth of all fatalities. In 2022, record amounts of 323 tons of cocaine were impounded in the EU, ranking after cannabis as the most consumed illegal drug in Europe.
One key concern highlighted in this year's report is the simultaneous or sequential consumption of numerous drugs, popular in Europe. People often mislabel or mix high-powered synthetic opioids with medicines and other drugs, leading to heightened health risks and more complex intervention measures in the event of overdoses.
The EU aims to combat the drug mafia aggressively. The forthcoming EU Drugs Agency, established by early July, will have more authority and flexibility: "it will have improved analytical capacity", "can work more closely with international partners like Colombia and Ecuador", and "will be able to issue early warnings and assessments of health and security risks through the new European Drug Alert System", according to Johansson. Hopes are high, but there is a rising concern over the drug market's quick development. Johansson concluded, "We have to stay vigilant, we have to be prepared."
In summary, Europe is facing a substantial increase in drug-related issues despite ongoing efforts. With the forthcoming EU Drugs Agency's promises of higher powers and flexibility, the EU hopes to counter the drug mafia's expansion while remaining alert to the drug market's rapid growth.
