The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) published its annual report, which identifies drug trends in the EU, on Thursday 6 June.
This year, the report again notes an increased availability of cocaine in Europe, with seizures reaching record levels (see EUROPE 12036/11). More than 104,000 cocaine seizures were reported in the EU in 2017, compared to 98,000 in 2016, representing 140.4 tonnes.
While the total of some 86 tonnes seized by Belgium (45 tonnes) and Spain (41 tonnes) represented 61% of the estimated total for the EU in 2017, France (17.5 tonnes) and the Netherlands (14.6 tonnes) also reported large quantities.
The report also observes a potential "Uberisation" of the market, with the penetration of smaller groups, making organised and more systematic use of a range of encrypted information technologies with social media and ‘Darknet’ sales sites - whose value doubles each year - for transactions and cryptocurrencies.
The EMCDDA is more concerned about the increasing availability of most illicit substances (one million seizures per year). While the trend of new psychoactive substances detected for the first time in the EU is down, cases of overdoses remain on the rise, the report points out.
The drug market is taking 'multiple paths', suggesting that Europe is also a transit point. Alexis Goosdeel, Director of the EMCDDA, stressed “[the importance of] legal measures at community and national level, as well as cooperation with international partners, in particular with producer countries".
According to the report, cannabis remains the most commonly abused illicit drug in Europe. Seventeen point five million young Europeans would have consumed it in 2017. 1% of adults consume it every day.
The EMCDDA points to the political problem and the creation of legal markets for recreational cannabis outside the EU, which has stimulated innovation in the development of products such as e-liquids or edible products, some of which are now appearing on the European market.
New perspectives for m-health
The report also highlights new m-health (smartphone-based applications) initiatives in drug prevention, treatment and harm reduction. It presents a range of new connected health applications, such as those that use geo-location to help people who inject drugs find needle and syringe exchange points, a use that targets primarily youth and is part of preventing risks against hepatitis C transmission.
Another option currently under analysis is the use of virtual reality technology to recreate immersive drug-related environments that induce cravings and help patients develop resilience.
However, for the EMCDDA, a warning is needed, as new applications in this field are not always accompanied by rigorous quality standards, data protection and scientific evaluation rules.
The report will feed into the reflections on the evolution of drug policy, as the final evaluation of the EU strategy for 2013-2020 will be carried out next year. It can be consulted at the following address: http://bit.ly/2MwSZsd (Original version in French by Marion Fontana and Martin Molko)