Drug use in Austria is above average for many substances compared to other EU countries. In fact, the number of drug-related deaths in relation to the number of inhabitants is more than twice the EU average. According to the European Drug Report 2023, the problem is that new substances are constantly coming onto the market, as well as the high degree of purity and the difficulty of distinguishing them for consumers.
In 2022, 41 new substances were reported to the EU Early Warning System (EWS), bringing the Lisbon-based European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) to a total of 930 drugs. “Since these can be sold in the form of powders or pills that look similar, users may not know what they are taking,” says a summary of the report, which also looks at new psychoactive substances (NPS).
Record levels of cannabis, cocaine and heroin
In a written statement, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johannson expressed “deep concern that the substances consumed in Europe today may be even more harmful to health than in the past. In 2021, amounts of cannabis resin (816 tonnes) and herbal cannabis (256 tonnes) seized in the EU reached a ten-year high, while cocaine seized a record 303 tonnes. The amount of heroin seized by EU member states has more than doubled to 9.5 tonnes in 2021 compared to the previous year.
Austria is only below average when it comes to cannabis
According to the report, cannabis remains the most commonly used illicit drug in Europe. It is estimated that about eight percent (22.6 million) of European adults (aged 15 to 64) have used cannabis in the past year. 29.3 percent of EU citizens come into contact with cannabis during their adult lives, compared to 22.7 percent in Austria – the only drug category in which Austria is below the EU average. With regard to cannabis, two developments are described: on the one hand, more and more EU Member States (e.g. Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic) and Switzerland have new concepts for regulating the supply of cannabis for recreational use, on the other hand there are always more synthetic or semi-synthetic cannabinoids in the EU. For example, hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is sold in some EU countries as a “legal” alternative to cannabis.
Cocaine causes the most acute poisonings
Cocaine was used by an estimated 1.3 percent (3.7 million) European adults last year and was the most common substance associated with acute poisoning in hospital emergency departments by 2021. With an estimated baseline prevalence of 6.2 percent among adults, Austria is above the EU average of 5.4 percent.
Heroin is the most popular illicit opioid in Europe
In the assessment of high-risk heroin cases, Austria ranks third after Finland and Ireland. Heroin remains the most commonly used illicit opioid in Europe, but concerns about the use of synthetic opioids are also growing. Many synthetic opioids are very potent and carry the risk of poisoning and death. New uncontrolled synthetic opioids continued to appear on the European drug market.
Anesthetics and nitrous oxide as recreational drugs
Austria is also above the EU average when it comes to the estimated consumption of MDMA (e.g. ecstasy) and amphetamines (“speed”). “Ketamine, used in medicine as an anesthetic and pain reliever, has established itself as a recreational drug in some areas,” it said. The increasing recreational use of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) in some parts of Europe “also raises health concerns”. Risks include poisoning, burns and lung damage, and in some cases nerve damage with prolonged use.
In the statistics for drug deaths, Austria ranks eighth with 39 cases per million inhabitants (the figure is from 2021). Sad leaders are Finland (79) and Ireland (73) ahead of Sweden (64) and Norway (63). The EU average is 18.3.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
