Cannabis use increases across Europe

More than 45 million Europeans have tried cannabis

LISBON, Portugal -- Cannabis use is continuing to spread in the European Union, with one in five people across the 15-state bloc having tried it at least once.

The finding comes from a report by the Lisbon-based European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), which said cannabis remained the most widely used illicit drug, with at least 45 million Europeans having tried it.

This represented an increase of about five million on last year's survey result.

Ecstasy and amphetamines were the second most popular "recreational" drugs in Europe, with use of the former showing signs of stabilising, or even falling, while the latter could still be on the rise, the EMCDDA said in its annual report.

The report said consumption of cocaine, while less common than amphetamine and ecstasy use, was growing and was particularly prevalent amongst socially outgoing, employed young city dwellers.

But the number of heroin users appeared to have stabilised, although the ageing of the addict population was bringing fresh problems.

"Heroin-users are becoming a chronic ageing population with serious, social and psychiatric problems," the report said.

It noted the number of AIDS cases amongst intravenous drug users fell in France, Italy and Spain, while there was a strong rise in Portugal.

Overall, however, the prevalence of HIV, the AIDS virus, continued to show signs of stabilising across the EU due to greater access to sterile needles and better counselling and testing, the report said.

Luxembourg has highest proportion of problem drug usersbe influenced by proximity to smuggling routes

EMCDDA legal advisor Danilo Ballotta told CNN.com that there appeared to be little correlation between the type of policy applied by a country and problem drug use, which it defined as "intravenous or long-duration use of opiates, cocaine and/or amphetamines."

"Problem drug use is more likely to be a product of social factors rather than affected by the laws of a country -- liberal and strict countries have similar problems," Ballotta said.

Amongst EU states, Luxembourg had the highest proportion of problem drug users at around seven per 1,000 people between the ages of 15 and 64. It was followed by Italy, with six, and Britain and Spain with five.

Although there were national variations within the EU, the quantity and number of heroin seizures had remained stable, as had prices of the drug.

"The data suggests that, although heroin use and dependence are stable, attempts to reduce supply have had little effect on availability to those who want to use it," the report concluded.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Europe mellows out over cannabis use
October 9, 2000

European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction

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