Study Finds Europeans Love to Get High — And Their Drugs Are Stronger and Purer Than Ever
By Pierre Longeray
June 7, 2015 | 8:47 am
The purity and potency of illegal drugs is Europe is on the rise, according to a new report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). In its annual analysis of European drug trends, the EMCDDA also found that heroin use was in decline, that London's sewers had the highest concentration of cocaine among all European capitals, and that two new psychoactive substances hit the market every week.
According to the report, more than 80 million adults — nearly a quarter of the EU's population — have tried an illicit substance at some point in their lives. Cannabis is Europe's most popular drug, followed by cocaine. According to the survey, 1 percent of European adults smoke cannabis "daily or almost daily." Illicit drugs are involved in 3.4 percent of all deaths of Europeans ages 15-39.
The EMCDDA found that 19.3 million Europeans ages 15-64 had used cannabis in 2014 — an estimated 5.7 percent of Europe's population — with consumption on the rise in several countries, including Denmark, Finland, Sweden, France, and Bulgaria. Just under a quarter of European school students ages 15-16 confessed to smoking the drug at least once, including nearly one in two Czech teens.
The survey also noted that cannabis is the most commonly seized drug in Europe, accounting for 80 percent of Europe's 1 million annual drug busts. According to the survey, Europeans are increasingly growing their own product, and the number of plants seized by authorities increased from 1.5 million in 2002 to 3.7 million in 2013.
Presenting the report in Lisbon on Thursday, EMCDDA director Wolfgang Götz highlighted the findings surrounding cannabis, and said that he did not expect Europe to legalize the drug any time soon. "I don't see a discussion coming up of the level as it is in the Americas," he said.
Another significant finding concerns the potency of cannabis — the THC content — which has risen dramatically over recent years. According to the report, the THC content for dried marijuana buds has doubled over the last five years, and also over the last 10 years for the "resin" form of the drug. European smokers may have market competition to thank for stronger weed, particularly in domestic production, where the report says "high-potency herbal products have taken an increasing market share in recent years."
The report also found that the number of people seeking treatment for cannabis use climbed from 45,000 in 2006 to 61,000 in 2013, with cannabis addiction the mostly reported reason for entering a drug rehabilitation facility among first-time patients. The demand for treatment from cocaine addiction, however, is in decline.
And yet cocaine — sniffed, snorted, injected, or smoked as crack cocaine — remains popular. According to the survey, the highest concentration of users is found in only a handful of countries, including Spain, Ireland, France, Denmark, and the UK, where 9.5 percent of adults claim they have used the illicit stimulant.
continued https://news.vice.com/article/study...-their-drugs-are-stronger-and-purer-than-ever
European Drug Report 2015: Trends and Developments
EMCDDA, Lisbon, June 2015
By Pierre Longeray
June 7, 2015 | 8:47 am
The purity and potency of illegal drugs is Europe is on the rise, according to a new report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). In its annual analysis of European drug trends, the EMCDDA also found that heroin use was in decline, that London's sewers had the highest concentration of cocaine among all European capitals, and that two new psychoactive substances hit the market every week.
According to the report, more than 80 million adults — nearly a quarter of the EU's population — have tried an illicit substance at some point in their lives. Cannabis is Europe's most popular drug, followed by cocaine. According to the survey, 1 percent of European adults smoke cannabis "daily or almost daily." Illicit drugs are involved in 3.4 percent of all deaths of Europeans ages 15-39.
The EMCDDA found that 19.3 million Europeans ages 15-64 had used cannabis in 2014 — an estimated 5.7 percent of Europe's population — with consumption on the rise in several countries, including Denmark, Finland, Sweden, France, and Bulgaria. Just under a quarter of European school students ages 15-16 confessed to smoking the drug at least once, including nearly one in two Czech teens.
The survey also noted that cannabis is the most commonly seized drug in Europe, accounting for 80 percent of Europe's 1 million annual drug busts. According to the survey, Europeans are increasingly growing their own product, and the number of plants seized by authorities increased from 1.5 million in 2002 to 3.7 million in 2013.
Presenting the report in Lisbon on Thursday, EMCDDA director Wolfgang Götz highlighted the findings surrounding cannabis, and said that he did not expect Europe to legalize the drug any time soon. "I don't see a discussion coming up of the level as it is in the Americas," he said.
Another significant finding concerns the potency of cannabis — the THC content — which has risen dramatically over recent years. According to the report, the THC content for dried marijuana buds has doubled over the last five years, and also over the last 10 years for the "resin" form of the drug. European smokers may have market competition to thank for stronger weed, particularly in domestic production, where the report says "high-potency herbal products have taken an increasing market share in recent years."
The report also found that the number of people seeking treatment for cannabis use climbed from 45,000 in 2006 to 61,000 in 2013, with cannabis addiction the mostly reported reason for entering a drug rehabilitation facility among first-time patients. The demand for treatment from cocaine addiction, however, is in decline.
And yet cocaine — sniffed, snorted, injected, or smoked as crack cocaine — remains popular. According to the survey, the highest concentration of users is found in only a handful of countries, including Spain, Ireland, France, Denmark, and the UK, where 9.5 percent of adults claim they have used the illicit stimulant.
continued https://news.vice.com/article/study...-their-drugs-are-stronger-and-purer-than-ever
European Drug Report 2015: Trends and Developments
EMCDDA, Lisbon, June 2015
