Drugs: annual report of EU Agency out tomorrow. Cannabis top of consumption, synthetic substances on the rise

The plague of drugs is here to stay in Europe and is causing an endless list of problems; the production of synthetic drugs is on the rise in the EU member states. These are two of the findings of the European Drug Report 2022, which will be published tomorrow by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, will present the results along with Franz Pietsch, president of the Management Board of the Lisbon-based European Agency, and Alexis Goosdeel, director of the Agency. The European Drug Report 2022 describes trends and developments in the provision and consumption of drugs as well as drug policies and responses in the European Union. The Report states that “the availability and use of drugs are still at high levels all over the European Union. Cannabis-based products are still the most widely consumed substances, and the production of other synthetic drugs is on the rise in Europe”. In addition, the Report concludes that “the use of drugs is related to a wide range of urgent health and social issues, such as mental health and self-harming, homelessness and juvenile delinquency”. To fight drug trafficking, on May 25th the European Commission submitted new rules for finding and seizing property. This proposal aims to “strengthen the national authorities’ ability to find, freeze, manage and confiscate illegal profits so that such profits will not be reinvested into crime. Since drug-related organised crime is the most profitable form of crime”, the proposal aims to deprive criminals of their main source of income.
Valentina Bombelli