The EU says new harmful illicit drugs are inundating a flourishing market for traffickers amid violence and corruption hurting local communities across Europe. The grim message delivered Friday was part an annual report by the EU agency monitoring drugs and addiction. It warned that users in Europe are now exposed to a wider range of substances of high purity, including ketamine and of nitrous oxide _the so-called laughing gas. That's raising fears, with reported cases of bladder and nerve damage or lung injuries. And alongside the high availability of heroin on the continent, synthetic opioids are on the rise and have been linked to deaths by overdose in Baltic countries.

BRUSSELS (AP) — New harmful illicit drugs are inundating a flourishing market for traffickers amid violence and corruption hurting local communities across Europe, the EU’s agency monitoring drugs and addiction said Friday.

The grim finding was part of the agency’s annual report. It also said that drug users in Europe are now exposed to a wider range of substances of high purity as drug trafficking and use across the region have quickly returned to pre-COVID 19 pandemic levels.

  • Riddick3001OP
    1•1 year ago

    @ Setlnner234,thanks for your comment

    Yeah, I agree that whatever we/ Europe has been doing, hasn’t been working well.

    In the Netherlands we have had a very confusing "tolerance " policy towards (soft) drugs. That used to be way better than many other policies. Of late, there has been unfortunately a notable increase ( or so it appears) of mostly criminal and drugs related violence. Eg. journalists, politicians, lawyers have been ruffled up, killed, and , recently, it seems even Royalty ( our NL Princess) have been threatened.

    In the latter case the main perpetrators were staying abroad in the Caribbean, and were partly originally African migrants. In so far, I got the whole complex story right; it seems to me that drug criminality must be addressed internationally, for it to properly work.

    How this should be done, is by changing the policy. And , atm I would advocate to make a more inclusive drug policy . I mean alcohol, ayuasca, mushrooms, cigarettes, alcohol and paracetamol and ibuprofen are basically OTC drugs.

    And the more harmful drugs, which in abundance is almost every substance ( including oxygen & water), but especially low grade harmful chemicals, should have more attention.

    The how, when, and thr who etc, is completely out of my scope. But it seems relevant to create more awareness on these issues.

    • @[email protected]
      2•1 year ago

      Agreed, I am also not necessarily qualified to solve these issues, but I can see that continuing with current approaches is futile.

      An even wider-ranging view, perhaps, should be to analyse the root causes of why people need drugs.

      Maybe neoliberal policies that continue to impoverish communities, make the rich richer, and the poor poorer aren’t exactly a good foundation for a society in which people feel safe or able to help each other out.

      We have social media companies driving manufactured outrage for profits, politicians jumping on the bandwagon, fighting a culture war to distract from true societal issues and less and less funding for essential public services, especially mental health.

      The world is becoming a less and less desirable place to live in and therefore people choose drugs to cope with working their Amazon warehouse / Deliveroo wage-slave jobs while trying to raise a family in ever-decreasing living conditions.

      I can’t blame people for this. I also see no way out, as these systemic issues directly stem from intrinsic human qualities. We’re borne from competitive savagery and most of those who seek power are the most arrogant and psychopathic among us, so that leaves me with little hope that the system will improve.

      So, for a lot of people, drugs it is.