A report published by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies (OFDT) has found that cocaine consumption in Europe has increased significantly since 2010, now constituting a third of the illegal narcotics market on the continent.
France hosts one of the largest user bases, with an estimated 600,000 regular consumers of cocaine (irrespective of its form, powder or otherwise). The increase is connected to a wider range of social cleavages making use of the drug, albeit it is also mitigated by a recent fall in use among younger demographics.
The results, according to the National Public Health Agency in France, include a tripling of emergency room visits on account of cocaine consumption between 2010 and 2022, although these are generally due to mixing the drug with other substances.
Just as startling is an estimated 35% spike in cocaine cultivation in a single year, between 2020 and 2021. This increase has been accompanied by a rise in police seizures.
Such a rise in drug consumption can be addressed in terms of both domestic, social dynamics and the global, integrated illegal market.
