Turkey among first five countries for users of drugs

The Trends and Developments report published the EMCDDA’s latest analysis of the drug situation in Europe.

The Trends and Developments report presented EMCDDA’s latest analysis of the drug situation in Europe. Focusing on illicit drug use, related harms and drug supply, the report contains a comprehensive set of national data about these themes and key harm-reduction interventions.

The report revealed that the most commonly used methamphetamine in the last period increased in Istanbul and Adana in Turkey.

According to the report, the increase in the use of  synthetic and chemical drugs increased visibly both in the world and in Turkey during the AKP rule.

The report's overall assessment says that "drug availability and use remain at high levels across the European Union, although considerable differences exist between countries. Approximately 83.4 million or 29 % of adults (aged 15–64) in the European Union are estimated to have ever used an illicit drug, with more males (50.5 million) than females (33.0 million) reporting use. Cannabis remains the most widely consumed substance, with over 22 million European adults reporting its use in the last year. Stimulants are the second most commonly reported category. It is estimated that in the last year, 3.5 million adults consumed cocaine, 2.6 million MDMA and 2 million amphetamines. Around 1 million Europeans used heroin or another illicit opioid in the last year. Although the prevalence of use is lower for opioid use than for other drugs, opioids still account for the greatest share of harm attributed to illicit drug use. This is illustrated by the presence of opioids, often in combination with other substances, which was found in around three quarters of fatal overdoses reported in the European Union for 2020."