Press Release: Opioids still at heart of Europe’s drug phenomenon

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) estimates that there are between 1.3 and 1.7 million problem opioid users in the EU and Norway, with heroin responsible for Europe’s largest drug-related health and social costs. Data published by the Agency in November 2008 call into question previous EMCDDA assessments of a slowly improving heroin situation and point to a ‘stable but no longer diminishing problem’. Record opium production in Afghanistan in 2007 has also heightened the Agency’s worries over a potential knock-on effect on Europe’s heroin problem.

EMCDDA: News Release, No.7, 2008 (pdf) http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_64549_EN_Opioids_EN2008Final.pdf

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