The European Union Agency for Drugs warns that the drug market in Europe is becoming stronger, more diverse, and harder to control.

The European Union Agency for Drugs warns, in the European report for 2026, that people who use drugs in Europe are exposed to new risks, in a market where substances are more available, stronger, and more varied. The report indicates at least 7,600 overdose deaths in the European Union in 2024, an increase in risks generated by synthetic opioids, cocaine, new cannabis products, and synthetic cathinones, as well as more fragmented tactics of trafficking networks, which use smaller ports, maritime transfers, drones, semi-submersibles, and sophisticated concealment methods.

The European Union Agency for Drugs warns that the drug market in Europe is changing rapidly, and the combination of stronger substances, new products, and more adaptable criminal networks simultaneously puts pressure on health systems, social services, police, and customs. The European Drug Report 2026, presented on Tuesday together with the European Commission, is based on data from 29 countries, the 27 member states of the European Union, Norway, and Türkiye, and describes the situation up to the end of 2025, largely using data from 2024 or the most recent available.

In short

The European Union Agency for Drugs monitors 1,050 new psychoactive substances, after 50 were reported for the first time in Europe in 2025.

The report estimates at least 7,600 overdose deaths in the European Union in 2024, with multiple substances involved in most cases.

Cannabis remains the most consumed illicit drug in Europe, with 24.9 million adults having used it in the past year, and new products, including vapes and edibles, increase the risks.

Cocaine continues to have effects on health and security, with approximately 4.3 million adults having consumed it in the past year and 97,000 seizures reported in 2024.

Trafficking networks use more varied routes and methods, including smaller ports, maritime transfers, drones, semi-submersibles, and more complex chemical or physical concealments.

The report shows that the availability of illicit drugs remains high in Europe for almost all analyzed categories. Substances on the market are often stronger or purer, and consumers face products whose content can be unpredictable, especially in the case of mixtures, counterfeit tablets, vapes, and edible products.

The agency emphasizes that polyconsumption, the combination of multiple substances, is common and increases medical risks. This complicates emergency service interventions, addiction treatment, and harm reduction policies, as intoxications and deaths can no longer always be associated with a single substance.

The European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, stated that the report shows "the human cost of drug use," with the latest annual figures indicating at least 7,600 overdose deaths. He asserted that the European Union must prevent the entry of dangerous products into the market and use the law to affect the economic model of traffickers.

Lorraine Nolan, the executive director of the European Union Agency for Drugs, warned that markets are changing rapidly, and substances on the streets of Europe are becoming "increasingly unpredictable." She stated that people can consume highly potent drugs "often without knowing," and public decisions must be based on solid data, public health, fundamental rights, and balanced responses to demand and supply.

One of the strongest signals from the report concerns new psychoactive substances. The agency monitors 1,050 such substances, and in 2025, 50 new substances were reported for the first time, at a rate close to one per week. Among these are powerful synthetic opioids, synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, and other substances for which medical risks are still insufficiently known.

Opioids remain the main category involved in drug-induced deaths in Europe, usually in combination with other substances. The report indicates special attention for nitazenes, orfines, and fentanyl, substances that can cause lethal intoxications in very small quantities. In 2024, ten countries detected over 50,000 tablets containing nitazenes, compared to 23,000 in 2023 and 380 in 2022.

Fentanyl is mentioned as a risk that requires vigilance, especially after Bulgaria reported over 100 fentanyl-related deaths in the period 2024-2025. The report notes that fentanyl was previously associated with a limited number of European countries, but repeated seizures, geographical expansion, and still unclear sources of production and trafficking can create additional problems.

Cannabis remains the most consumed illicit drug in Europe. The agency estimates that 24.9 million adults aged 15 to 64 have used cannabis in the past year, with 15.4 million of them being young adults aged 15 to 34. Cannabis accounts for about one-third of drug treatment requests in Europe, with around 104,000 people entering treatment in 2024, of which approximately 62,000 for the first time.

The risks associated with cannabis are altered by the emergence of more varied products, including potent extracts, edibles, vapes, and products with synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids. The agency issued its first risk communication in 2025 through the European Drug Alert System regarding North American cannabis, following the emergence of high-potency products and possible contamination with dangerous pesticides.

Cocaine remains the second most consumed illicit drug in Europe after cannabis. The report estimates that approximately 4.3 million adults have consumed cocaine in the past year, and wastewater analyses show a geographical expansion of consumption: 48 of the 85 cities with comparable data for 2024 and 2025 reported increases in cocaine residues.

The effects of cocaine on health are visible in hospitals and treatment services. In 2024, cocaine was the most frequently reported substance in acute toxicity presentations at Euro-DEN Plus sentinel hospitals, being mentioned in 26% of cases, and was involved in approximately 27% of drug-induced deaths reported by 20 countries with available data.

Data on cocaine trafficking show a change in tactics. The amount intercepted in Europe decreased to 330 tons in 2024, down from 419 tons in 2023, but the number of seizures increased to 97,000, compared to 95,000 in the previous year. The report interprets this combination as a possible signal that networks are moving to smaller, more fragmented batches and more varied routes to avoid detection.

Synthetic drugs create another type of pressure. In 2024, EU member states reported 34,000 amphetamine seizures, totaling 11.4 tons, and 14,100 methamphetamine seizures, totaling 6.1 tons. Synthetic cathinones reached 48.5 tons reported as imports or seizures in the Union, nearly three times the combined amount of seized amphetamine and methamphetamine.

Ketamine is presented as a substance that is becoming more visible in the European market. Although total consumption remains relatively low, the report shows that ketamine residues in wastewater have increased in 40 of the 66 cities with available data for 2024 and 2025, and the number of people entering treatment for ketamine-related issues has increased from 413 in 2019 to 1,796 in 2024.

The security dimension of the drug market occupies a central place in the report. The agency warns that criminal networks are diversifying routes and methods following intensified controls in major European ports. They exploit smaller ports, maritime transfers with fast vessels and other ships, semi-submersibles, drones, and advanced concealment methods.

The report also draws attention to the recruitment of vulnerable youth by criminal groups. The agency describes the use of young people from marginalized communities for trafficking, intimidation, and violence, including arrangements where violence is outsourced to recruited individuals for attacks, threats, or drug transport.

The European response presented by the Commission includes the new European Union Drug Strategy, the Action Plan against Drug Trafficking, and new proposed rules for monitoring and controlling precursors. The Commission states that these tools combine prevention, treatment, reintegration, security, cooperation between agencies, and action against the routes and business models of traffickers.

Brunner stated, in the launch speech, that drug trafficking can no longer be treated as an isolated area of crime, as it finances money laundering, corruption, human trafficking, violence, and other forms of serious organized crime. He specified that the report will also feed discussions at the European Council next week.

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