Methamphetamine and cocaine use seem to have increased in Cyprus, especially in Limassol, the results of a study analysing wastewater for drugs, showed.
The project analysed wastewater in over 100 European cities and towns to explore the drug-taking habits of residents.
The results were announced on Wednesday by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, EMCDDA.
“Today’s findings, from a record 104 cities, paint a picture of a drugs problem that is both widespread and complex, with all six substances detected in almost every location,” EMCDDA director Alexis Goosdeel said in a statement.
The results showed a “continued rise in cocaine detections”, a trend observed since 2016, and that more cities had reported traces of methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth.
Cocaine
The results indicate that cocaine use remains highest in western and southern European cities, particularly in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Low levels were found in the majority of the eastern European cities, although the most recent data shows some signs of increase.
In Cyprus, the use of cocaine was at low levels compared to the European average, with the highest use recorded once again in Limassol, where there has been an increase in its use, compared to last year.
Methamphetamines, amphetamines Â
Îœethamphetamine use, generally low and historically concentrated in Czechia and Slovakia, was also present in Belgium, the east of Germany, Spain, Turkey and Cyprus. Most recent data show signals of increases in central and southern European cities.
Cypriot cities are quite high in ranking as regards the use of methamphetamine, with the biggest consumption recorded in Larnaca and Limassol.
On the contrary, the use of MDMA and amphetamine was very low, compared to the European data, in all the cities of Cyprus. The highest mass loads of MDMA were found in the wastewater in cities in Belgium, Czechia, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal.
Cannabis
Cannabis is Europe’s most commonly used illicit drug, with an estimated 22.6 million last year users.
The highest mass loads of the cannabis metabolite THC-COOH were found in wastewater in cities in Czechia, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Data from the European Web Survey on Drugs: COVID-19 also indicated that cannabis use patterns remained relatively stable during the first lockdown period, with more than two-fifths (42%) of the cannabis users who participated in the survey reporting no change in their use of the drug compared with before the pandemic (EMCDDA, 2020). In Cyprus the use of cannabis was close to the European average.
A press release by the Cyprus National Addictions Authority said that the results for Cyprus have been drawn in cooperation with the University of Cyprus Nireas International Water Research Centre.
President of the Authority, Christos Mina, noted that such surveys allow the undertaking of measures on time, with a view to addressing the problem of illegal drug use.
