Paris (AFP)

Historic peak of cocaine, cannabis "made in Europe", dependence of the elderly on opioids and new modes of distribution linked to the pandemic: the annual report of the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), published on Tuesday, shows that all drugs are gaining ground.

- Containment drugs -

The Covid-19 epidemic has not permanently disrupted traffic.

If air transport has fallen, "traffic by sea continued at pre-pandemic levels", while containment accelerated trends already at work among consumers and resellers: recourse to "social networks" , "home delivery" and "darknet".

On the consumer side, habits have also been changed by confinement.

The use of recreational drugs, such as MDMA and cocaine, and other stimulants, has declined markedly.

"We have observed a significant increase in the use of cannabis, benzodiazepines (anxiolytics) combined with alcohol", according to Alexis Goosdeel, the president of the Observatory founded 25 years ago, at the peak of the "crisis of heroine "in Europe.

- Cocaine, historic peak in Europe -

According to the indicators, "there has never been so much cocaine in Europe".

In 2018, the last year of comparison, cocaine seizures reached an all-time high with nearly 181 tonnes intercepted, 40 tonnes more than the previous year.

At the same time, the level of purity of this drug has been increasing for 10 years, while its retail resale price "remains stable".

Consumed by 4.3 million Europeans in 2018, this white powder produced from coca leaves, mainly in Colombia, Bolivia and Peru, is the second most popular drug in Europe, behind cannabis.

Crack, its smokable derivative, mainly affects the "big excluded", but is no longer the exclusive prerogative of cities like Paris or London.

- Seniors and prescriptions -

"Drugs have changed, they are less visible, and more and more disseminated in our societies" comments Mr. Goosdeel.

The 50+ age group has seen a 75% increase in opioid-related overdoses over the past six years.

Older people, who find themselves on prescriptions for opioid-based painkillers to relieve serious or common health problems, can quickly and without being immediately detected by those around them develop a strong addiction to these drugs.

- Cannabis "made in Europe" -

More than three million cannabis plants were seized on the continent in 2018.

And this cannabis is more and more "dosed".

The THC concentration levels in cannabis resin and herb today are on average about twice as high as 10 years ago.

"In a context where new forms of cannabis are appearing, for example in concentrated or edible forms, this observation calls for close vigilance in the observation of the markets", warns the observatory.

- The race for new substances -

Synthetic drugs, whose formulation is versatile, have been steadily increasing for three years.

In 2019, 53 new formulas were identified.

Opioids, which have already ravaged the United States for several years, are also beginning to be the subject of new synthetic formulas and constitute a "worrying signal of the continued adaptability of the market" and a "threat to public health" , notes the European observatory.

© 2020 AFP