In 2022, 41 new drugs were notified through the EU Rapid Alert System (SAR). In this way, the number of new psychotropic substances that are monitored by the European Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) is now close to 1,000. The data comes from the 2023 European Report on Drugs, made public this Friday by the agency, which warns of the complexity of drug production. Cannabis and also cocaine continue to be two of the most consumed drugs, but synthetic stimulants are also worrying.
"People who use drugs are now exposed to a broader range of psychotropic substances", drugs that are generally of "great potency and purity", points out the EMCDDA in a statement that warns that one of the great dangers lies in the fact that Consumers "may not be aware of what they are taking," they warn.
In 2022, 41 new drugs were notified and with them there are already 930 that are being monitored by the Observatory. Despite the novelties, some old acquaintances continue to be the most consumed. This is the case of cannabis, which remains the most widely consumed illegal drug in Europe. Nearly 8% (22.6 million) of adults in Europe between the ages of 15 and 64 consumed it in 2022. In this sense, the EMCDDA warns of the risks of poisoning because some products sold on the black market, such as natural cannabis, can be adulterated with “potent synthetic cannabionoids”.
On the other hand, close to 1.3% of Europeans between the ages of 15 and 64 used cocaine in the last year, being the most widely used illicit stimulant drug in Europe. In addition, the report warns that combined consumption with alcohol is common among its users and the double danger that this can entail. The agency also warns that there are signs that the use of injected cocaine, as well as crack "is becoming widespread among marginalized groups" in some countries. The big fear is that the most established drugs are becoming more accessible, but at the same time, even more powerful ones continue to emerge. Its consumption exposes citizens to more violence and represents a public health problem that must be protected, warns the agency. And the illegal manufacture of this drug in Europe is a reality confirmed by the dismantling of 34 laboratories in 2021 when the previous year (2020) 23 were located.
And the increase in the consumption of synthetic stimulants is also worrying and disturbing. If until now amphetamine was the most consumed stimulant in Europe, the drug agency points out that there are indications that "both methamphetamine and synthetic cathinones" are contributing significantly to the problems derived from stimulants.
The report also warns that Ketamine has become a recreational drug that is snorted and is sometimes found added to other drug mixes. And alert to the health concern that the consumption of nitrous oxide (known as laughing gas) is also arousing. The fear for this drug is its accessibility –also in price because it is cheaper- among young people. But experts warn that its consumption can cause poisoning, burns, lung injuries and also nerve damage if its use is very prolonged.
The record amounts of illegal drugs that EU countries are seizing also worries the agency, as well as organized drug crime that may be leading to the fact that the substances consumed now "may be even more harmful to health than in the past”, pointed out Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs.
The Agency on Drugs has announced that it will launch a European network of forensic and toxicological laboratories to understand the threat posed by new synthetic substances, as well as mixtures and adulterated ones. In addition, he sees cooperation with third countries, such as those in Latin America, as essential to fight against drug trafficking.
