Higher cocaine use in western and southern Europe cities in opposite to the higher amphetamine one in northern and eastern Europe. And more: the highest MDMA use is during the weekend, while the amphetamine one was recorded during the working week.
These are some of key findings of the annual research on drugs use habits in Europe. The largest european project on wastewater analysis connected with main illicit drugs use habits in 56 european cities was presented in Lisbon on march 3rd.
The project, taken up in the "Perspective on drugs" is conducted by SCORE group, that is Sewage Analysis CORe group Europe, together with EU drugs agency (EMCDDA).
The study analysed daily wastewater samples taken from the nearby of wastewater treatment plants over a one-week period each year.
This last one was reported on march 2017.
Wastewater analysis is a rapidly developing scientific discipline with the potential for monitoring real time data on geographical and temporal trends in illicit drug use.
Sampling a source of wastewater, such as a sewage influent to a treatment plant, is a method that allows to estimate the quantity of drugs consumed by a community by measuring the levels of illicit drugs and their metabolites excreted in urine.
Covering 56 cities and 19 countries in Europe and using standard protocol studies made possible to compare illicit drug loads in Europe over a one week period during seven consecutive years.
All samples were analysed for the main urinary metabolites, which for cocaine is, for example, benzoylecgonine (BE).
Key findings of the project reveals that cocaine use is higher in western and southern European cities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom.
Meanwhile amphetamine use varied across Europe, with the highest levels reported in cities in the north and east of Europe.
Regarding methamphetamine use, historically high in Czech Republic and Slovakia, now it looks very high even in Cyprus, Germany and northern Europe.
In reference to MDMA the highest level was reported in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands.
Differences between cities, even of the same country, reflected different elements such as, universities, nightlife areas, and different age distribution of population.
In terms of trends cocaine and MDMA use is higher in larger cities, in particular MDMA was much more detected during weekends, from Friday to Monday. Exactly the reverse for what was recorded about amphetamine.
In terms of quantity while cocaine use was stable between 2011 and 2015, MDMA loads were higher in 2017 than in 2011, with sharp increases in cities like Antwerp and Amsterdam. (cm)