Europe is facing an escalating threat from massive shipments of previously unknown recreational designer drugs and potent new opioids, while the trafficking and use of cocaine and cannabis are worsening, according to the annual report published by the European Union Drugs Agency on Thursday.
Seizures of synthetic cathinones—stimulants chemically similar to the active ingredient in khat, a plant widely consumed in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula—reached an unprecedented 37 metric tonnes in 2023, primarily imported from India. The identification of seven new cathinones last year further indicates their growing prevalence across the continent.
The report also issued a stark warning regarding new synthetic opioids, particularly nitazenes, which it stated posed “severe poisoning” risks. Nitazenes can be orders of magnitude stronger than heroin—or even fentanyl—and have been linked by US and British authorities to alarming increases in overdose deaths.
The comprehensive report, which compiled data from the 27 EU member states plus Norway and Turkey, emphasized the critical need for improved monitoring and alert systems. It also stressed the importance of better preparedness and enhanced cross-sector collaboration to effectively combat drug-related crime and mitigate public health risks.
Meanwhile, cannabis continued to be Europe’s most consumed illicit drug, with increasingly potent products complicating health risk assessments. The report highlighted that the average tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in cannabis resin has doubled over the past decade, raising concerns about its health impacts. In 2024, authorities detected 18 new varieties of semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC). These molecules can often be sold legally in many countries because they are not yet explicitly banned under existing legislation, presenting a regulatory challenge.
Cocaine use was also on the rise, as evidenced by record seizures amounting to 419 tonnes in 2023. The report identified major ports in Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands as key entry points for cocaine into Europe.
