9 June 2026 10.00 am: The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) today publishes the European drug report 2026: trends and developments (EDR). The purpose of this report is to provide an overview and summary of the European drug situation up to the end of 2025.
The Health Research Board (HRB) provides the Irish data and research for the EUDA report. This media brief provides an overview of the drug situation in Europe and a comparison with the Irish drug situation where possible. The Irish data presented in the EUDA report were provided at the end of 2025. Since then, the HRB has published the 2025 report on drug treatment demand in Ireland, links to latest reports on Irish data are available at the end of this brief.
The European Drug Report (EDR) is compiled from data provided by 29 countries (EU-27, Norway and Türkiye). This is an annual review of the drugs situation in Europe. The 2026 report highlights risks posed to public health by an increasingly diverse range of substances, often of high potency and purity, and which are widely available. Polysubstance use is also common, with people combining drugs in ways that increase risk and complicate prevention, treatment and harm reduction responses.
In 2025, 50 New psychoactive substances (NPS) were detected for the first time in Europe, bringing the total number monitored by the EUDA to 1,050, including several potent new synthetic opioids. Vapes containing synthetic and semi-synthetic forms of cannabis, have also been seized in EU Member States.
Drug-related intimidation and violence remain a concern, including the recruitment of vulnerable young people by criminal groups to traffic drugs and perpetrate violence.
At the same time, trafficking networks are adapting quickly to enforcement efforts. Following intensified policing operations at major European ports, criminals have diversified their routes and methods to evade detection. Greater use of at-sea transfers via a variety of vessels, drones, semi-submersibles and concealment techniques, is making trafficking harder to detect, placing greater demands on law enforcement and customs authorities.
Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration says:
“The European Drug Report reveals the human cost of drug use, with the latest annual figures showing at least 7 600 overdose deaths. We must pull out all the stops to prevent dangerous new products from flooding the market and use the full force of the law to strip illegal traffickers of their business model. With the EU Early Warning System, we are identifying new trends early. Through our Action Plan against drug trafficking, we have given European authorities a clear playbook — and by stepping up international cooperation, we are building a global front to tackle this criminal trade.”
Dr Lorraine Nolan, EUDA Executive Director adds:
“Drug markets are evolving at speed, with the variety of substances on Europe’s streets becoming ever more unpredictable. This raises the risk: people may be taking high-potency drugs, often without knowing it. Solid facts matter now more than ever. The European Drug Report provides the evidence to ensure that our policymakers, practitioners and communities are well prepared. At the same time, the EUDA is strengthening its monitoring and preparedness systems to better protect Europe’s citizens and support effective responses. A balanced approach is essential, tackling both supply and demand. As well as being grounded in science, it must also be focused on human rights and public health.”
Latest EUDA data
Cocaine
Cocaine is, after cannabis, the second most commonly used illicit drug in Europe. While levels and patterns of use differ considerably between countries, the availability of cocaine continues to increase, resulting in rising public health harms and drug-related crime.
While the quantity of cocaine seized by EU Member States decreased to 330 tonnes from 419 tonnes in 2023, it is known that production of cocaine in South America has grown significantly and trafficking routes have adapted to the patterns of interdiction in recent years. This is evident from the drop in seizures in large ports in Belgium and The Netherlands.
European situation
- In the European Union, almost 2.6 million 15–34-year-olds (2.6 % of this age group) used cocaine in the last year.
- Cocaine was the second most common problem drug among people entering specialist drug treatment for the first time in 2023, cited by an estimated 37,000 clients or 25% of all first-time entrants. There is a time lag of 14 years between first use of cocaine and entry into drug treatment.
- There were 11,400 crack-related entrants into treatment in 2024 (up from 9,900 in 2023), with just 5 EU Member States accounting for 85% of this total.
- Among the 20 European countries providing data for both years, cocaine was involved in 1,133 drug-induced death, 27% of the total, in 2024 (1,053 or 26 % in 2023). Most cocaine-related deaths involved polysubstance use.
Irish comparison
- In Ireland the 2023 Health Ireland survey shows that 5.0 per cent of 15–34-year-olds used cocaine in the last year.
- Cocaine was the most common drug reported for those entering treatment in Ireland in 2025. The 6,535 entrants accounted for 42.4% of all cases. The number of cocaine related treatment episodes increased by 23.6% compared with 2024.
- Cocaine remains the most common main drug among new cases, accounting for more than one-half (51.4%) of new cases in 2025.
- Cocaine was implicated in 115 drug poisoning deaths in 2022. This represents 33.5% of all drug poisoning deaths in 2022.
Cannabis
Cannabis remains the most commonly consumed illegal drug in Europe. Some EU member states have modified regulation around controls on cannabis, and consumption and harm patterns will need to be examined carefully over several years to determine what impact these changes are having. New cannabis products, including those with low THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) which are often available on consumer goods markets, are becoming more available.
In addition to these potent synthetic cannabinoids are being used to adulterate the more commonly used cannabis resin and herbal cannabis, and high-potency extracts and edibles are associated with presentations at emergency departments.
The wider availability of synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids increases the risk of harms associated with cannabis use, which include physical harm and psychotic symptoms. The use of cannabidiol (CBD) in the production of semi-synthetic cannabinoids, such as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), is a cause of concern.
European situation
- Cannabis is the most used illicit drug in Europe, across all age groups, with national surveys showing that an estimated 8.7 % of European adults (25.0 million aged 15–64) have used cannabis in the last year.
- Last year cannabis use among the EU population aged 15–34 is estimated at 15.3 % (15.4 million people). Among 15–34-year-olds, an estimated 2.4% (2.4 million) are daily or almost daily cannabis users.
- Cannabis was the main problem drug most frequently cited by new treatment clients, accounting for 41% of all first-time treatment entrants.
- In 2024, EU Member States reported 252,000 seizures of cannabis resin amounting to 321 tonnes (551 tonnes in 2023) and 219,000 seizures of herbal cannabis amounting to 199 tonnes (201 tonnes in 2023).
Irish comparison
- In Ireland the 2023 Health Ireland survey shows that 14.8 per cent of 15–34-year-olds used cannabis in the last year.
- Lifetime use of cannabis among 15-16 years was 12% among participants in the 2024 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) schools survey.
- Cannabis was the third most commonly treated main drug reported in 2025, accounting for 15.1% of cases.
- The proportion of newly treated cannabis cases has decreased over time from 58% in 2024 to 51.2% in 2025
Opioids (mainly heroin)
Heroin remains Europe’s most commonly used illicit opioid, and accounts for a considerable proportion of the health harms associated with the consumption of controlled drugs. The situation is changing with data from several countries indicating an increase in the mean age of those entering specialist drugs treatment for opioid use. As the proportion of older clients in opioid use treatment increases, services face new challenges in meeting more complex social and health needs. The numbers of those entering treatment for opioids other than heroin, including synthetic opioids, now account for a greater proportion than those in treatment mainly for heroin use. This pattern is also seen in those presenting for treatment in emergency departments in many cities, where opioid agonist medicines, synthetic opioids and pain medication feature more often than heroin.
A key driver in the increased use of opioids other than heroin is the rapid fall in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, from which most of Europe’s heroin is sourced. This change should accelerate as stockpiles of heroin reduce. Nearly 100 synthetic opioids have been detected in Europe since 2009. In July 2025, China banned production of nitazenes, a potent opioid, and since then a number of new orpines have been detected. Increased production in Pakistan and Myanmar has replaced some of the Afghani heroin, so the opioid market is becoming increasingly complex and difficult to predict.
European situation
- It is estimated that 0.3% of the European Union adult population, or around 850 000 people, used opioids in 2024 (860,000 in 2023).
- Opioid use was reported as the main reason for entering specialist drug treatment by 68,000 clients in 2024, representing 22% of all those entering drug treatment in Europe.
- National data from 26 European Union Member States show that an estimated 505,000 clients received opioid agonist treatment, such as methadone treatment which is a replacement for heroin, in 2024 (511,000 in 2023).
- Opioids, including heroin and its metabolites, often in combination with other substances, were present in seven out of ten cases of fatal overdose in 2024 for which toxicological information is available.
Irish comparison
- The proportion of all entrants to treatment reporting an opioid (mainly heroin) as their main problem drug has decreased year on year since 2004, from a peak of 65% in 2004 to 25.3% in 2025.
- Opioids were the main drug generating treatment demand among those aged 45 years or over.
- Opioids were implicated in 223 drug poisoning deaths in 2022, which represents 65% of all drug poisoning deaths that year, the most recent year for which data is available.
- The 2025 HRB study, Prevalence of problematic opioid use in Ireland, 2020-2022 found that there were an estimated 19,460 problematic opioid users in Ireland in 2022.
New psychoactive substances, stimulants and dissociative drugs
At the end of 2025, the EMCDDA was monitoring 1,050 new psychoactive substances, 50 of which were first reported in Europe in 2025. In 2025, the EU Early Warning System received reports of 27 new cannabinoids, bringing the total number being monitored to 304. Following China’s legal controls on the production of synthetic cannabinoids in 2021, there are indications that these substances are increasing being produced in European laboratories. Semi-synthetic cannabinoids, such as HHC (hexahydrocannabinol), have been detected in all EU Member States. HHC is controlled in 23 Member States, but replacements are becoming available on the illegal market.
Synthetic cathinones and new synthetic opioids are sold as replacements for stimulants such as amphetamine or opioids such as heroin, respectively. In 2025, four new cathinones were notified, while 69 previously reported synthetic cathinones were also detected on the EU drug market in 2024.
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is the second most commonly used illicit stimulant in Europe, after cocaine. Much MDMA is produced in Europe, concentrated in the Netherlands and Belgium. There are indications that MDMA produced in Europe is being trafficked to Latin America in exchange for cocaine. The average MDMA content of ecstasy tables in 2023 was between 138 and 158 milligrams, compared to around 84 milligrams in 2011. Higher strength products increase the potential of adverse health consequences, particularly if MDMA is consumed in combination with other substances.
European situation
- Surveys conducted by 27 EU Member States between 2015 and 2024 suggest that 2.24 million young adults (15–34) used MDMA in the last year (2.4% of this age group), with 2.1% (1.0 million) of those aged 15 to 24 years estimated to have used MDMA in the last year
- In 2023, two EU Member States reported dismantling 35 MDMA laboratories. Belgium reported four MDMA laboratories, with the Netherlands reporting 31.
- Approximately 350 new psychoactive substances were detected in seizures in 2023.
Irish comparison
- The 2019/20 National Drug and Alcohol Survey reported 6.5% young adults (aged 15–34 years) used MDMA in the last year. The 2023 Health Ireland survey shows that the level of last year use among 15–34 had declined to 2.2%.
- Lifetime use of MDMA among 15–16 years was 2% among participants in the 2024 ESPAD schools survey.
- The number of cases reporting a new psychoactive substance (NPS) as a main problem has increased more than 400% from 51 cases in 2017 (0.6% of cases) to 256 in 2025 (1.7% of cases). The increase observed between 2024 and 2025 represents the largest year on year rise across the reporting period.
- A total of 334 cases reported problem use of ketamine (2.1%): 130 cases reported ketamine as the main problem and 204 cases as an additional problem.
- Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) were implicated in seven deaths in 2022, the same number as for amphetamines and other stimulants, such as MDMA.
- Benzodiazepines were the main problem drug for 11% of cases entering treatment in 2023.
Recently published Irish data
- National Drug Treatment Reporting System: 2025 drug treatment demand.
- Prevalence of problematic opioid use in Ireland, 2020–2022.
- Drug use in Ireland. Findings from the 2022–2023 Healthy Ireland survey
ENDS
If you have any queries in relation to the Irish figures, you can contact:
Brian Galvin, Programme Manager for Drug and Alcohol Research, Health Research Board
m +353 86 1573471 e bgalvin@hrb.ie
Suzanne Kenny, Communications Office, Health Research Board
m +353 85 8500494 e skenny@hrb.ie
