More designer drugs have been produced in Europe due to the coronavirus, EMCDDA report
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In Europe, they began to produce more because of the coronavirus pandemic drugs.
This is reported in the report of the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) on the drug situation in Europe. The report warns about the risks to public health associated with the availability and use of a wider range of narcotic substances. The report is based on data from 27 EU countries, Turkey and Norway.
It also describes how organized criminal groups have stepped up illegal drug production in Europe to avoid measures to combat human trafficking, creating risks to the environment, health and safety.
“Drugs are a constant and ubiquitous threat affecting the lives of millions of people. The European Report on Drugs for 2021 provides the latest data on this vital problem, which fuels violence and threatens the health and safety of our citizens,” said European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson.
The production of amphetamine and methamphetamine has increased on the continent. It is reported that 46 new types of drugs have been discovered in the EU over the past year alone. In addition, the authors of the document are particularly concerned about the increasing abuse of drugs of the benzodiazepine group.
The report notes that due to the lockdown introduced in Europe, drug trafficking has moved from the streets to the Internet. The pandemic has pushed drug traffickers to more actively use messengers with end-to-end encryption. In addition, due to the closure of borders and the suspension of air traffic, the criminals had to abandon couriers. Instead, drug traffickers began to use container transportation for smuggling.
“The report shows how much the drug situation has changed over the past 25 years, and now drugs have become a widespread problem affecting all major policy areas. Drug use patterns are becoming increasingly complex as consumers are exposed to a wider range of potent natural and synthetic substances,” said EMCDDA Director Alexis Gusdil.
