More about this topic

Health news

Living the high life: Where in Europe is cannabis use legal?

While medical marijuana is becoming more available in Europe, cannabis remains illegal in most EU countries for personal use.

18/08/2023

France

France sends elite police unit to Marseille to tackle drugs crimewave

CRS 8 special police unit is being deployed to fight against the bloody war for the control of drug trafficking in Marseille. The gang war has killed 12 people since mid-July.

17/08/2023

Germany

German Cabinet set to approve plans to liberalise cannabis rules

Approval of the plan would be the first step to legalising possession of limited amounts of the drug and allow 'cannabis club' members to buy it for recreational purposes.

15/08/2023

Health news

Popular heartburn drugs linked to higher risk of dementia

Taking acid reflux medications for four and a half years or more can lead to a higher risk of dementia, researchers have said.

14/08/2023

Netherlands

Record-breaking seizure of cocaine worth €600 million in Netherlands

Prosecutors say the drugs were hidden in a container of bananas from Ecuador

11/08/2023

Health news

France loses more money from tobacco and alcohol than it gains

A new report has found that the cost to public finances related to alcohol and tobacco use exceeds any money the state gains from taxes on those products.

02/08/2023

France

French police seize thousands of cannabis plants in Alpine raid

An eight-month investigation uncovered an enormous growing operation near Grenoble.

08/07/2023

United Kingdom

Nearly 200,000 cannabis plants worth €150m seized by UK police

Hundreds are facing criminal charges after a swoop that also netted cocaine, cash and illegal weapons.

07/07/2023

Culture news

Festival boss fights UK on attempt to stop drug testing

A music festival creator and government advisor has threatened legal action against the UK’s Home Office decision to require festivals have a licence for on-site drug testing.

04/07/2023

Healthcare

Australia has legalised MDMA to treat mental health. Is Europe next?

It is now legal in Austria to prescribe MDMA and psilocybin to treat some mental health issues. Are other countries likely to follow suit?

03/07/2023

No Comment

WATCH: Myanmar torches illegal drugs on International anti-drug day

Myanmar junta authorities said they torched almost half a billion dollars worth of illegal drugs on Monday, but warned they were failing to stop a surge in production and trafficking of narcotics.

26/06/2023

Health news

'It's getting cheaper': Drug use disorders increasing globally

A new UN report said the number of people suffering from drug use disorders had skyrocketed in the last 10 years.

26/06/2023

Europe News

'We never had so many drugs smuggled or produced in Europe' - report

The annual study released by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) warned that the use of illegal substances is a concern to the health of people on the continent, as well as its security.

16/06/2023

Health news

US approves new drug for 'aggressive and hard-to-treat' form of cancer

US regulators approved a new drug used to treat an aggressive form of lymphoma, Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche announced on Friday.

16/06/2023

Syria

How did Europe help Syria become a major narco-state?

Captagon, a little-known upper, creates three times more trade for Syria's regime than the Mexican cartels combined, according to official figures.

15/06/2023

Health news

UK launches €46.5m project to tackle obesity with weight loss drugs

The UK is pouring millions into a programme to tackle obesity with weight loss drugs such as Wegovy.

07/06/2023

Portugal

Portuguese authorities seize a tonne of cocaine on a yacht

Authorities in Portugal say they intercepted a sailing boat from Latin America on Tuesday evening carrying around a tonne of cocaine.

02/06/2023

Health news

Xylazine: Flesh-rotting ‘zombie’ drug claims first victim in Europe

The first death in the UK linked to the “zombie” drug xylazine raises concerns over the shifting origin of opioid supplies in Europe.

26/05/2023

Health news

Move over, CBD: HHC is the new ‘legal cannabis’ causing concern

After the boom of CBD, authorities worry about HHC, which can be ingested, smoked or vaped, with effects similar to those of cannabis.

25/05/2023

World News

Fentanyl has devastated America. Why is Europe being spared?

While fentanyl continues ravaging the US, the European illegal drug market has remained somehow shielded from the deadly synthetic opioid. Is that about to change?

18/05/2023