Synthetic drugs pose an unprecedented health risk to Europe

In Hungary, the threat took the form of small animal-shaped jelly candies. This was in June 2024, and these treats, loaded with semi-synthetic cannabinoids, were responsible for serious illnesses among 30 consumers. Elsewhere in Europe, these are alerts linked to overdoses following the consumption of cathinones and synthetic opioids, but also to the massive distribution of high-purity cocaine, which, taken together, outline the contours of a "changing drug landscape" , according to the annual report of the European Union Agency on Drugs (EUDA).

This document, published this Thursday, June 5, resembles a "state of the threat" , as investigative services usually produce. Except that, in this case, it is not about the violent corollaries of drug trafficking, which has become a major political concern, but rather about health risks. "In a context (...) of rapidly changing drug trends, Europe is facing multiple challenges that put its citizens at risk , says Alexis Goosdeel, the agency's executive director. The rise of highly potent substances and the increasing complexity of consumption patterns are putting a strain on health and safety systems.

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