European Drugs Report 2024

The "European Drugs Report 2024 - Trends and Developments" was released in Lisbon on the 11th by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Everywhere, in everything, in everyone, are the words that frame how Europe's situation in this area is described.

Among the aspects highlighted in the document are the high availability of a wider range of often more potent substances, the association of commercial infrastructures with the high availability of drugs, increased political concerns about drug-related violence and the exploitation of minors, the risks increased by poly-drug use and mis-selling, the need for new and innovative sources of forensic and toxicological data, and Europe's response to cannabis.

Data on Portugal indicates that in 2022, half of all crack use involved smoking and injecting crack, either alone or with heroin. Regarding the seizure of fake oxycodone tablets containing N-desethyl isotonitazene, in 2023 Portugal seized 5,752 units. Portugal is included in a group of countries that have restricted the availability of nitrous oxide in recent years.

Still with regard to Portugal, this report states that men aged between 40 and 59 are the most affected by overdose deaths.

The online event launching the EMCDDA's 2024 report was attended by Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, who warned of the worsening drug use in Europe, Franz Pietsch, Chairman of the Board, who highlighted the quality of the report and its evolution since its first edition in 1996, and Alexis Goosdeel, Director, who announced the first European Conference on Drug-related Violence in November in Brussels, which will analyse the scale of the problem and identify innovative initiatives to deal with it.

The European Monitoring Centre, which has been based in Portugal since 1995, will have its functions and powers extended from 2 July, when it changes its remit and name to the European Union Agency for Drugs.

Report here.