Brussels, 24/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - Ahead of the World Day against illegal drug trafficking and abuse on 26 June, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) points out that drug consumption remains a major threat for public health in Europe, with 7,000 to 8,000 deaths each year due to fatal overdoses. Europe's drugs problem is also changing with more problems now associated with the use of stimulant drugs, such as cocaine, and new substances increasingly appearing on the European market. European action must focus on prevention and the supply of effective treatment against drug addiction, the EMCDDA states. Each year in the EU, at least one million people receive treatment for drug-related problems, and 50-100 million clean needles and syringes are exchanged or distributed to drug injectors in the EU annually in order to reduce the risk of HIV infection. Intervention today has a stronger evidence base than in the past and evaluation has become a core element of drug policy in many countries, including within the EU. The importance granted to public health by the EU drug strategy is also greater today, the EMCDDA is pleased to acknowledge.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has, moreover, published it 2011 report on the state of global drug trafficking. Published each year, the report assesses the latest developments in this respect. The main points set out in the 2011 report are: (1) cocaine, heroin and cannabis markets are declining or remaining stable, while the consumption of opium products and new synthetic drugs is on the increase; (2) the illegal growing of opium poppy and coca cultivation remains limited to a few countries; and 3) although there is a major decline in opium production and a modest fall in coca cultivation, the production of heroin and cocaine remains high. (I.L./transl.jl)