Table Of ContentEN
IS
S
N
2
3
1
4
-
9
0
8
6
European
Drug
Report
Trends and Developments
2018
European
Drug
Report
Trends and Developments
2018
Legal notice
This publication of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) is protected by
copyright. The EMCDDA accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of the data
contained in this document. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the official opinions of the
EMCDDA’s partners, any EU Member State or any agency or institution of the European Union.
This report is available in Bulgarian, Spanish, Czech, Danish, German, Estonian, Greek, English, French, Croatian,
Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Finnish, Swedish,
Turkish and Norwegian. All translations were made by the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union.
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2018
Print ISBN 978-92-9497-283-5 ISSN 1977-9860 doi:10.2810/688395 TD-AT-18-001-EN-C
PDF ISBN 978-92-9497-272-9 ISSN 2314-9086 doi:10.2810/800331 TD-AT-18-001-EN-N
© European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2018
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Recommended citation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (2018), European Drug Report
2018: Trends and Developments, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal
Tel. +351 211210200
[email protected] | www.emcdda.europa.eu
twitter.com/emcdda | facebook.com/emcdda
Contents
5 Preface
9 Introductory note and acknowledgements
11 COMMENTARY
Understanding Europe’s drug problems and developing effective responses
19 CHAPTER 1
Drug supply and the market
39 CHAPTER 2
Drug use prevalence and trends
59 CHAPTER 3
Drug-related harms and responses
83 ANNEX
National data tables
Preface
We are pleased to present the EMCDDA’s annual analysis of the drug phenomenon in
Europe. The European Drug Report 2018: Trends and Developments provides a timely
insight into Europe’s drug problems and responses. Our flagship report is built on
a thorough review of European and national data that highlights emerging patterns and
issues. This year it is accompanied online by 30 Country Drug Reports and resources
containing full data arrays and graphics, allowing an overview for each country.
Our report is designed to equip our stakeholders with a comprehensive overview. It will
also provide an early warning of new drug trends, help identify priorities for national and
local strategic planning, enable comparisons between countries and support evaluations
through the provision of data on trends. The report is complemented by our recent triennial
publication, the Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide (2017).
This year, for a wide range of substances, we are seeing some worrying signs of increased
levels of drug production now taking place within Europe, closer to consumer markets.
Technological advances facilitate this development, and they also connect European drug
producers and consumers to global markets via the surface web and darknet. We also note
that the increase in cocaine production in South America is now having an impact on the
European market, bringing both increased risk of health problems for users and more
complex challenges for law enforcement, as traffickers modify and switch supply routes.
Emerging evidence of the increased availability and use of crack cocaine in Europe is also
a cause for concern and requires monitoring.
5
European Drug Report 2018: Trends and Developments
New psychoactive substances available on Europe’s drug markets continue to cause
public health problems and challenge policymakers. Recent EU legislation has reinforced
the exchange of information on the new substances appearing on the market and reduced
the time it takes for these substances to be risk-assessed and controlled across Europe.
Highly potent synthetic opioids and cannabinoids are causing problems in a range of
settings, and in the case of fentanyl derivatives, putting those who use drugs and front-line
responders in greater danger. Addressing this challenge has placed a renewed focus on
the role of the opioid antidote naloxone in overdose response strategies and the level of
access to it that drug users have.
We believe that the threats posed by drugs to public health and security in Europe
continue to require a high-level, multidisciplinary response. The new EU action plan
adopted in 2017 provides the framework for the necessary European cooperation.
Our report and the analysis it presents is a testament to the robust support we receive
from our national and institutional partners. Input from our Reitox national focal points and
national experts allows us to build a unique overview of Europe’s drug situation. We are
also grateful to our partners at European level, in particular the European Commission,
Europol, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European
Medicines Agency. Additionally, we are thankful to specialised networks that have
collaborated with us so that we can incorporate leading-edge and innovative data into our
report in the areas of wastewater analysis, school surveys and drug-related hospital
emergencies.
Laura d’Arrigo
Chair, EMCDDA Management Board
Alexis Goosdeel
Director, EMCDDA
6
