European Drug Report 2026

The European Drug Report 2026: Trends and Developments was published in Brussels on the 9th by the European Union Drug Agency (EUDA), which issues a warning: people who use drugs in Europe face new health risks as drug markets evolve rapidly and become more complex.

Among the key findings are the widespread availability and use of an increasingly diverse range of substances, often of high potency or purity; the emergence of new cannabis products; the growing variety of opioids and stimulants being sold; poly-drug use and the combination of drugs, which increase risks and complicate responses; the exploitation and recruitment of vulnerable young people by criminal groups for drug trafficking and acts of violence; and the rapid adaptation of trafficking networks to the efforts of the authorities.

Data on Portugal indicate that, in 2024, cocaine was involved in the majority of overdose deaths, with seizures of the substance totalling 23 tonnes.

The online launch event for the EUDA’s European Drug Report 2026 was attended by Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, who highlighted the impact of drug markets on security, organised crime, health policies and situations of social vulnerability, whilst also highlighting the European Commission’s approach to this issue.

Also speaking were Franz Pietsch, Chair of the EUDA Management Board, who stressed the importance of this annual report, describing it as a unique and reliable reference, and emphasised the Agency’s central role in strengthening Europe’s preparedness in this field, and Lorraine Nolan, Executive Director of EUDA, who presented some of the report’s key findings and highlighted cooperation, science and evidence as some of Europe’s greatest strengths, noting that the continent is now better prepared, more connected and better informed.

Report available at https://www.euda.europa.eu.