Latest news with #EuropeanUnionDrugAgency
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Synthetic drugs pose 'emerging threat' across Ireland and Europe
Europe is facing an emerging threat from synthetic drugs — including artificial substances that mimic cannabis, heroin and stimulants — the EU drug agency has warned. It has documented 'unprecedented imports and seizures' of synthetic cathinones, which are chemically similar to cathinone, a stimulant. The European Union Drug Agency also flags the 'rising availability' of fake medicines containing highly potent nitazenes — a synthetic opioid that led to overdose outbreaks in Dublin and Cork at the end of 2023 and in several Irish prisons in 2024. In its European Union Drug Report 2025, the agency highlights a doubling in the strength of cannabis resin over the last decade and the risks posed by high-potency cannabis extracts and edibles, like jellies. The report said semi-synthetic cannabinoids have 'spread rapidly' in recent years. One of these substances, HHC, has been linked to serious psychological effects, including among schoolchildren in Cork in November 2023. HHC can be purchased legally in jellies and vapes from stores in Ireland, despite repeated concerns of medical experts. New provisions are being drafted to fill the legislative gap. The report is also alerting users of the dance drug ecstasy that they are exposing themselves to 'unpredictable health risks', as the content of the active ingredient, MDMA, has 'increased markedly'. It said the average MDMA content in ecstasy tablets has increased from about 84mg in 2011 to between 138mg and 158mg now, with some tablets containing up to 350mg. This warning chimes with an alert issued last week by the HSE, which said that one in four ecstasy pills it had tested in 2024 had more than 200mg of MDMA, which, it said, was more than double the typical adult dose. Issuing the alert as part of its harm reduction strategy for the coming festival season, the HSE said high-strength MDMA pills, powders and crystals in circulation increased the risk of 'getting very sick', including accidental overdose. The European Union Drug Agency report mentioned the HSE harm reduction campaign at music festivals, which included the testing of samples handed over to surrender bins, enabling live dissemination of rapid risk alerts to potential users. The agency said that similar to the more extensive trend with cannabis, MDMA had been found in edibles — such as sweets and lollipops — in some countries. 'As with cannabis edibles, these products pose difficulties in regulating dosage and increase the risk of inadvertent consumption, especially a concern if they are consumed by minors,' the report said. It said seizures of synthetic cathinones had increased from 2.1 tonnes in 2021, to 27 tonnes in 2022 and to 37 tonnes in 2023. The report said while synthetic cathinones have been shown to have similar effects and potential harms as stimulants like MDMA and amphetamine, they are a broad range of substances, some of which may have 'more severe' effects. The drug agency said synthetic cannabinoids were widely available online and in shops and include flavoured jellies and vapes. 'Their accessibility and supposed legal status may attract both cannabis users and first-time users, potentially including youth and children,' it said. Read More Quantity of cocaine seized in EU countries has almost doubled in past three years
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Quantity of cocaine seized in EU countries has almost doubled in past three years
The quantity of cocaine seized in EU countries has almost doubled in the past three years, according to the bloc's drugs agency. The European Union Drug Agency said 419 tonnes of cocaine was seized in 2023, compared to 323 tonnes in 2022 — up 30%. Figures previously produced by the agency showed there were 303 tonnes seized in 2021 and 211 tonnes in 2020. The agency said cocaine was the second most common problem drug for people seeking treatment for the first time, accounting for 26% of all new entrants. Irish figures show cocaine was the most common problem drug for new entrants in 2023, accounting for 46% of all new entrants. The agency said that, given there was a long gap between first use and seeking treatment, there could be a 'surge' in treatment demand for cocaine in the coming years. In its European Union Drug Report 2025, the agency also reports: Increased availability of synthetic (artificial) cathinones, with 'unprecedented imports and seizures', resulting in some users not knowing what they are buying; A rise in the potency of cannabis resin, with a doubling in the amount of the active THC ingredient over the last decade, and a wide range of other high-potency cannabis products, such as edibles and extracts; Wider availability of semi-synthetic cannabinoids, a combination of chemicals designed to mimic the effects of cannabis and cannabis itself, including HHC, seen in Ireland; Rising availability of fake medicines containing nitazenes, the highly potent synthetic opioid that caused emergencies in Dublin and Cork among the homeless heroin-using communities in late 2023 and in a number of Irish prisons in 2024; Greater diversity in drug polices in Europe, with Germany, Luxembourg, Malta and Netherlands, allowing for home growing of cannabis, non-profit growing clubs and cannabis use in private — but the European Union Drug Agency urges the policies be evaluated to grasp their impact on health and security. The agency said the availability of high-potency cannabis extracts and edibles was of 'particular concern', as they had been linked to acute drug-toxicity presentations in hospital emergency departments. The report said that, in addition, some cannabis products may be adulterated with potent synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids. 'In Ireland, nitazenes were mis-sold as heroin in 2013 and as benzodiazepines in 2024, resulting in inadvertent consumption and multiple overdoses,' report said. Picture: Leah Farrell/ It said many of the semi-synthetic products involved HHC, with hospital cases typically involving 'young people' after consuming jelly sweets or other edibles. The agency said despite the crackdown on opium production by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the production and trade in heroin has continued, which it said was due to 'significant opium stocks'. It said the sizeable profits for organised crime groups from the cannabis trade has resulted in violence between competing gangs. In relation to synthetic opioids, such as nitazene, it said: 'In Ireland, nitazenes were mis-sold as heroin in 2013 and as benzodiazepines in 2024, resulting in inadvertent consumption and multiple overdoses.' The report said countries with large container ports, that were being used by cocaine traffickers, were experiencing 'high levels of drug related crime', including corruption of port staff, intimidation and violence. The MV Matthew, where 2.25 tonnes of cocaine was seized in September 2023. Picture: Larry Cummins It said Columbia, Brazil and Ecuador were estimated to have contributed to the increase in cocaine trafficked into Europe. It said in addition to commercial containers, trafficking gangs used other methods in a bid to evade detection. 'For example, in September 2023, Ireland seized 2.25 tonnes of cocaine from a cargo ship off its southern course,' the report said, referring to the MV Matthew, prosecutions in relation to which are before the criminal courts. Launching the report, Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for internal affairs and migration, said: 'The illicit drug trade poses a severe threat to the health and security of our citizens. It fosters an environment of intimidation and corruption, undermining the fabric of our communities, businesses and institutions. The fierce rivalry among criminal networks not only heightens gang violence and homicides but also increasingly involves the recruitment of minors into criminal activities.' European Union Drug Agency executive director Alexis Goosdeel said: 'Amid global instability and fast-changing drug trends, Europe faces multiple challenges that put its citizens at risk. The rise of highly potent substances and more complex patterns of drug use is placing health and security systems under strain.'
