The European Drug Report 2023 provides a chilling summary: compared to other EU countries, drug use in Austria is above average for many substances. The number of drug-related deaths is also twice the EU average.
AUSTRIA. The European Drugs Report 2023, presented on Friday in Brussels, highlights that new substances are constantly entering the market and that these substances are of high purity, which often leads to little differentiation for users. 41 new substances were reported to the EU Early Warning System (EWS) in 2022, so a total of 930 drugs are being monitored.
In 2021, the amount of cannabis resin seized in the EU reached 816 tonnes and herbal cannabis seized at 256 tonnes, the highest levels in a decade. A record 303 tons of cocaine were also seized. The amount of heroin seized by EU Member States more than doubled in 2021 compared to the previous year, amounting to 9.5 tonnes.
Below EU average for cannabis only
According to the report, cannabis remains the most consumed illicit drug in Europe. Around 22.6 million European adults (15-64 years), or around eight percent, are estimated to have used cannabis in the last year. Around 29.3% of EU citizens will come into contact with cannabis during their adult life. In Austria, this figure is 22.7%, below the EU average. Interestingly, this is the only drug category where Austria is below the EU average.
Eighth place in drug deaths
With an estimated baseline prevalence of 6.2 percent among adults, cocaine use in Austria is above the EU average of 5.4 percent. In the assessment of high-risk cases of heroin use, Austria ranks third, behind Finland and Ireland. Austria is also above the EU average for estimated consumption of MDMA (ecstasy) and amphetamines (“speed”). Furthermore, ketamine, which is used in medicine as an anesthetic and pain reliever, has established itself as a recreational drug in some areas.
In terms of the number of drug-related deaths, Austria ranks eighth with 39 cases per million inhabitants (2021 data). At the sad top are Finland with 79 and Ireland with 73 cases per million inhabitants, followed by Sweden with 64 and Norway with 63. The EU average is 18.3 cases per million inhabitants.
Is enough being done to prevent drugs?
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