Press Release: European Commission calls for rapid action to tackle new drugs, “legal highs” and trafficking routes

The EU has made progress in curbing drug use and trafficking over the past 18 months. The Commission is acting to stop so-called “legal highs,” proposing on 20 October 2010 an EU-wide ban on mephedrone, an ecstasy-like drug that is already illegal in 15 Member States (see IP/10/1355). Important progress has also been made in blocking imports of cocaine and heroin. However, more work is needed to stem a rise in cocaine-related deaths and the emergence of new drugs and cross-border trafficking routes. These are the main conclusions of the European Commission's first review of the EU Drugs Action Plan 2009-2012, released 9 November 2010. Every year, 6,500 to 7,000 people die in the EU from a drug overdose. Between 25 and 30 million Europeans are estimated to have taken some type of illicit drug in the last year, including 4 million who took cocaine. There were 1,000 cocaine-related deaths.