Drug Overdose Deaths Continue to Rise in Europe; Most Cases From U.K.
Deaths from drug overdose continue to rise in Europe with the highest reported cases coming from the United Kingdom.
According to the 2017 Country Drug Report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), 31 percent of the 8,441 reported drug overdose deaths in Europe came from the U.K. Germany came in at a far second with 15 percent of the total reported cases.
Most of these cases were due to opioids, particularly heroin, use.
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In England and Wales alone, 1,200 deaths were due to morphine and heroin overdose. The data showed a 26 percent increase in fatal drug overdose cases from the previous year.
Other illegal drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines and benzodiazepines were also reported as cause of drug overdose deaths in the region. However, these illicit substances only account for a smaller number of cases compared to heroin use.
The U.K. also reported 182 HIV cases in 2015 due to illegal drug injections, the European Commission reported. Germany and Ireland were also found to have an increase in HIV cases attributed to injections.
Meanwhile, cannabis or "marijuana" remained the most commonly used drug across Europe. In 2015, around 88 million adult males were reported to use the illegal drug.
This is the third consecutive year that drug overdose deaths have increased in Europe.
Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopolous told the European Commission that the rising number of drug use in the region remains a problem.
"The impact of the drugs problem continues to be a significant challenge for European societies," said the commissioner. "The annual European Drug Report gives us the necessary analysis, guidance and tools to tackle this threat together across Europe, not just to protect the health of our citizens, but also to stop huge profits from drugs ending up in the pockets of organized crime groups in Europe and beyond."
