EMCDDA 2016 Drug Report Discussion

[ABPI_]

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/2637/TDAT16001ENN.pdf

Not too many surprises, though hold onto your hats, drugs are generally getting purer, MDMA production insights, Benzo abuse on the rise and an increase in gay stim orgies. A few snippets, its not that long so its a good read.

MDMA

The return of MDMA as a common stimulant of choice foryoung people is illustrative of some of the new challengesposed by the contemporary drug market. Innovation insourcing precursors, new production techniques andonline supply all appear to be driving a revival in a marketnow characterised by a diversity of products. High-dosepowders, crystals and tablets with a range of logos, coloursand shapes are available, with evidence of production toorder and the use of sophisticated and targeted marketing.This may be a deliberate strategy by producers to improveperception of the drug after a lengthy period in which poordrug quality and adulteration had resulted in a decline inuse.

Stims

Cocaine use appears higher inwestern and southern European countries, whileamphetamines are more prominent in northern andeastern Europe. Both cocaine and amphetamine haveseen a medium-term increase in purity, with pricesremaining largely stable. Stimulant-related problems arealso becoming more visible. Concerns exist about anincreased number of new amphetamines-relatedtreatment demands in some countries, with nearly half ofthese new entrants reporting injecting.

Heroin

Afghanistan, increases in the size of heroin seizures andhigher purity levels, all point to a possible increase inavailability. There is currently, however, no strong evidenceof increases in new heroin uptake, treatment entrance forheroin is declining or stable, and overdoses remainprimarily a problem among older opioid users.Nonetheless, small increases have been observed inoverdose deaths among younger groups in some countries,and this warrants closer attention.

Dark Web

New threats and opportunities provided byinternet drug marketsAn important new challenge for drug policy is how torespond to the internet’s role as both a communicationmedium and an emerging source of drug supply. Attentionhas focused primarily on the threat posed by darknet drugmarkets. It is also necessary to understand the growingrole of surface websites, especially in respect to supply ofcounterfeit medicines and new psychoactive substances,and social media applications for peer-to-peer exchanges.Online platforms also provide possibilities for prevention,treatment and harm reduction activities, though these areoften overlooked.The supply of drugs through online sources appears to begrowing, albeit from a low base, and the potential forexpansion of online drug supply appears considerable.Moreover, the rapid rate of change in this area, driven byincreasing use of the internet, the deployment of newpayment technologies, innovations in encryption and newoptions for the creation of distributed online marketplaces,makes it difficult for societal responses to keep pace. Howbest to respond to this growing dark cloud on the horizonand how best to exploit the opportunities that this mediumoffers for reducing drug problems are likely to representquestions of critical importance for the future Europeanpolicy agenda.

Loads and Loads on RC's, etc etc

 

[steewith2ees]

Cheers ABPI that's fantastic. I'll have a proper gander through it tomorrow morning xxxx

 

[ABPI_]

I would actually really like to write a report like this, quite a lot of interesting stuff about new emerging drug routes etc , the production of heroin in Spain from Morphine, and how Czech basically produces all of our meth. Also new drug routes to the north, with people deciding to take the Baltic option coming into the UK etc.

 

[Fug]

Cheers for the link! Lots to read through and learn.

Wonder when it'll all get regulated and legalised

 

[Ceres]

fascinating insight, thanks.

 

[BigG]

Really interesting thank you mate.

I find it hard to believe they couldn't crack the dark net if they actually wanted to.....it's not as secure as people think.....I'd never use it personally.

 

[Fug]

Considering the size of the dark net I really don't think they have the time or resources to crack down on everything, it'd just be a cat and mouse game with those sites.

Individuals, not so much.

 

[BigG]

That's the thing fug they don't have the time or resources......

But if they did ....they could..the NSA and GCHQ definately could but obviously they have bigger fish to fry.

 

[Sprout]

The CE network for PEA's is one Hell of a machine - think Amphetamine Sulphate and its solo grip on the UK pre-'04. Once they put their might into Meth the consequences of RC prohibition will become clear even to Nixon's grave.

 

[Tinker55]

Thank you for posting this. It's interesting even from this side of the pond. For instance, there s no reliable source on the average purity of cocaine sold, just law enforcement's info-which is obviously biased.