Cocaine use reaches record levels in EU
Thursday, 22 November 2007 15:18More Europeans are consuming cocaine than ever before, as its price falls, according to the EU drug agency.
'It is estimated that cocaine has been used at least once by more than 12m Europeans, representing almost 4% of all adults,' it said.
At least 4.5m Europeans used cocaine last year, up from 3.5m in 2005.
This has coincided with record hauls of the drug in recent years.
An estimated 107 tonnes was seized in 2005, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) said in its report of the EU, Norway and Turkey.
'Cocaine is now, after cannabis, the second most commonly used illicit drug in many EU member states and in the EU as a whole,' said the agency.
Adults aged between 15 and 34 in Spain and Britain are the biggest consumers of cocaine. The main entry point into the EU remains the Iberian peninsula, with Portugal rising in importance.
Experts say growing demand for the drug and a strong euro have increased the pressure for South American drug cartels to break through Europe's tight borders.
The agency said that although cocaine prices had fallen in recent years, a gram of the drug can still fetch up to ¤120 in some European countries.
