As COVID-19 restrictions and increased border controls have eased on the continent, the EMCDDA said the drugs are available in large quantities in the region and in some cases above pre-pandemic levels. Hundreds of drug labs are disbanded and new psychoactive substances appear on the block every week. In 2021, 52 new drugs were reported for the first time, the agency said. “For me, the message that stands out from our analysis of drug trends in 2022 can be summarized as’ Everywhere. Everything. “Everyone,” said Alexis Goosdeel, the agency’s director. An estimated 83.4 million people aged 15-64 in the EU, or 29% of this population, have ever used illicit drugs, with more men than women reporting using them. The agency said cannabis remained the most popular substance, with more than 22 million people reporting its use in 2021, ahead of cocaine, MDMA and amphetamines. About 1 million Europeans have used heroin or another illicit opioid. An estimated 5,800 overdose deaths occurred in the EU in 2020, the most recent year for which this number was given. The report noted the growing use of social media applications and encrypted messaging services to access products during the pandemic, a model that is likely to remain. The agency said last month that record quantities of cocaine had been seized in Europe and that drug production was now taking place within the EU. While the agency said it was too early to assess the impact on heroin trafficking from the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the agency noted that it could lead to an increase. According to the publication, poppy cultivation continues in the country despite the ban on production and sale. “The current economic problems in the country may make drug revenues a more important source of income,” the report said. The report also looked at the war in Ukraine, noting that the conflict could have consequences for smuggling routes.
