New Health Risks Emerge as Europe's Drug Market Grows More Complex, EU Agency Warns
核心洞察
The EUDA reports that at least 7,600 overdose deaths occurred in the EU in 2024, with opioids remaining the leading cause of drug-related fatalities.
New synthetic opioids (搜索), including nitazenes (搜索) and orphines (搜索), pose an escalating threat due to extreme potency—one gram can yield several thousand lethal doses.
Cannabis remains the most widely used illicit drug in Europe with 24.9 million adult users, while high-potency products and adulteration with synthetic cannabinoids increase health risks.
The European Union Drugs Agency (搜索) (EUDA) has issued a stark warning in its European Drug Report 2026: Trends and Developments, highlighting that people who use drugs in Europe are confronting new and escalating health risks as drug markets evolve at an unprecedented pace. Based on data from 29 countries—the EU-27, Norway, and Türkiye—the annual review underscores the growing diversity, unpredictability, and potency of substances available across the continent.
"New synthetic opioids (搜索) are very highly potent substances," Lorraine Nolan, Executive Director of the EUDA, told Euronews. "One gram is enough to make several thousand lethal doses. So there is a very narrow margin between use and overdose in this situation," she added, stressing that these substances can emerge rapidly on the market, often without users knowing what they are taking.
Synthetic Opioids: A Growing Public Health Emergency
Opioids, usually in combination with other substances, remain the leading cause of drug-induced deaths (搜索) in Europe. The EUDA estimates that at least 7,600 overdose fatalities occurred in the EU in 2024, with most cases involving multiple substances. New synthetic opioids (搜索) are raising particular alarm, with 95 detected in Europe since 2009. In 2025 alone, seven new synthetic opioids were reported to the EU Early Warning System (EWS), including nitazenes (搜索) and orphines (搜索).
Fake medicines containing nitazenes (搜索), designed to mimic legitimate prescription drugs such as oxycodone or diazepam, are increasingly being reported. More than 50,000 nitazene-containing tablets were seized in 2024 by 10 countries, a sharp rise from 23,000 in 2023 and just 380 in 2022. There are concerns that such tablets may spread among groups without opioid tolerance, including young people.
The threat from orphines (搜索) is also intensifying. Since 2024, nine new orphines have been identified, with two—cychlorphine and spirochlorphine—now under EU investigation. Between June 2024 and January 2026, 18 deaths linked to orphines were reported. Meanwhile, fentanyl-related deaths underscore the need for vigilance: in Bulgaria, fentanyl was linked to over 100 drug-related deaths reported between 2024 and 2025.
China's blanket ban on nitazenes (搜索) in July 2025 may redirect the market toward alternative opioids, the report notes. Improving access to opioid agonist treatment, needle and syringe programmes, and take-home naloxone (THN) remains key to addressing current opioid problems. A growing number of countries now offer THN programmes, with 19 European countries participating in 2025.
Cannabis: Shifting Routes and Stronger Products
Cannabis remains the most widely consumed illicit drug in Europe, with 24.9 million European adults aged 15–64 estimated to have used the drug in the past year. The illicit cannabis market continues to evolve, with increasing amounts of high-potency herbal cannabis trafficked from outside Europe, particularly from Canada and the United States.
"In some resin forms, for example, we see impurity of up to 33%. And of course, the higher the THC component in the drug, the more likely it is with longer-term use to cause psychosis," Nolan said. Overproduction, lower prices, and strong competition in the North American cannabis market have led to a surplus of cheaper, higher-potency products. In 2025, authorities intercepted around 21 tonnes of herbal cannabis in each of the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, mostly of Canadian origin.
Cannabis accounts for a third (33%) of people entering drug treatment in Europe, representing an estimated 104,000 clients in 2024. Of these, 62,000 entered treatment for the first time. The wider availability of high-potency products, extracts, and edibles has been linked to emergency hospital presentations. Adulteration of cannabis products with potent synthetic cannabinoids and the wide availability of semi-synthetic cannabinoids further increase the risk of harms. In 2025, the EUDA issued its first risk communication via the European Drug Alert System on North American cannabis, highlighting risks from potentially hazardous pesticides.
Cocaine: Rising Harms and Shifting Trafficking Tactics
Cocaine use remains high across Europe, with approximately 4.3 million European adults having used it in the past year. The drug's geographical reach is growing, as are its harms. Latest municipal wastewater analyses show that of 85 cities with data for both 2024 and 2025, 48—or 57%—reported an increase in cocaine residues.
Cocaine was the second most common illicit drug among first-time entrants to specialised drug treatment in 2024, cited by an estimated 37,000 clients, up by 39% since 2018. Overall, 74,000 people entering treatment cited cocaine as their primary drug. Available data from 20 countries suggested that cocaine was involved in over a quarter (27%) of drug-induced deaths (搜索) in 2024.
Crack cocaine is adding to concerns, emerging as a visible and potentially growing problem in several European cities, particularly among marginalised groups. In 2024, an estimated 11,400 people entered treatment for crack-related problems, up from 9,900 in 2023, with 4,300 being first-time entrants.
After years of record seizures, the volume of cocaine intercepted in Europe fell to 330 tonnes in 2024, down from 419 tonnes in 2023. However, the number of seizures rose to 97,000 from 95,000, suggesting that traffickers may be shifting toward smaller, more fragmented consignments to avoid detection. Trafficking networks are also diversifying routes and methods, increasingly using smaller ports, at-sea transfers involving "go-fast" boats, semi-submersibles, drones, and sophisticated concealment techniques.
New Psychoactive Substances and Emerging Threats
New psychoactive substances (NPS) continue to be detected at a rate of approximately one per week. In 2025, 50 NPS were reported for the first time in Europe, bringing the total number monitored by the EUDA to 1,050. Vaping and e-cigarette use involving nicotine-containing products is now a common feature of substance use among adolescents in Europe. Vapes containing synthetic and semi-synthetic forms of cannabis have been seized in EU Member States, raising concerns that they may become a vehicle for other harmful substances, potentially including new synthetic opioids (搜索).
Ketamine, an essential medicine used for anaesthesia and pain relief, is increasingly misused as a psychoactive substance. While overall consumption remains relatively low, it is becoming more common in some youth and nightlife settings. Health risks range from acute poisoning to chronic harms such as serious bladder damage linked to intensive use. The number of people entering specialised treatment for ketamine-related problems has quadrupled in recent years, rising from 413 cases in 2019 to 1,796 in 2024.
Policy Responses and Preparedness
The new EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan against drug trafficking, together with proposed new rules for monitoring and controlling drug precursors, form part of a comprehensive EU response to the evolving drug phenomenon. The EUDA is calling on member states to invest in monitoring and preparedness systems while pursuing a balanced approach targeting both supply and demand, grounded in public health and human rights.
Through its European cannabis policy toolkit, the EUDA will assist policymakers by encouraging comparable monitoring and evaluation of all forms of cannabis control policies, as several EU Member States—including Czechia, Germany, Luxembourg, and Malta—have changed or are reviewing their approach to cannabis use and supply for recreational purposes.