Drugs: cocaine is now the second most abused drug in Europe

Cocaine is now the second most abused drug in Europe, always staying behind cannabis, but now ahead of amphetamines and ecstasy, according to the report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), released
The Observatory (the report is available online: http://annualreport.emcdda.europa.eu) estimates that about ten million Europeans (more than 3% of adults aged 15 to 64) used to least once cocaine. The EMCDDA notes that if these proportions are high, they are lower than what is observed in the United States, where 14% of the population would have consumed drugs.

Estimates from national surveys show that between 1% and 10% of young Europeans (15-34 years) have tried it at least once. Regarding consumption in the previous year, 0.2% to 4.8% of this age group said they had consumed cocaine, the highest rates were observed in Denmark, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands (about 2%) and especially in Spain and the United Kingdom (more than 4%).

Regarding the substances consumed, officials Observatory also reported the use of methamphetamine, which is relatively low in Europe. They also discuss the growing use of hallucinogenic mushrooms since the mid-90s, and especially in France, a phenomenon that was previously passed unnoticed.

Fourteen new active substances have been officially reported, most of them variations of ecstasy.

Moreover, the number of related drug, steadily declining since 2000 deaths seem to be increasing. In 2003-2004, the number of deaths increased by 3%. If the observatory believes it is too early to see a trend reversal, he warns, however, against "disturbing evidence suggesting a slowdown in the downward trend in the number of drug-related deaths since 2000 , "reads the statement released by the EMCDDA.

The typical victim of overdose in Europe is a male individual having around 35 years. The trend shows an increase in the age of the overdose victims, although the new members, Bulgaria and Romania States, a large proportion of the victims were younger than 25 years, reflecting use of heroin at a younger age in these countries.

One of the new report is the presence of substitute methadone in drug-related deaths, although the role of this substance in these deaths does not prove clear. In Denmark, methadone has been cited as the cause of poisoning reported in 95 of 214 drug-related deaths, while in the United Kingdom, methadone has been cited in 216 cases of overdose.