In Rennes, 2024 was marked by several shootings, homicides and attempted murders linked to the boom in drug trafficking. Until now relatively spared from drug banditry, the Breton capital has seen cocaine consumption become less complex, notably due to a dizzying drop in prices.
The essentials of the day: our exclusive selection
Every day, our editorial team reserves the best regional news for you. A selection just for you, to stay in touch with your regions.
France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the newsletter “The essentials of the day: our exclusive selection”. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our privacy policy
In Rennes, “prices have fallen precipitously”, due to a “superabundance” cocaine in Europe.
The report is signed by Guillaume Pavic, of the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT). This researcher is the author of a very in-depth annual report on trends in drug use in Brittany. And its figures allow us to understand to what extent this drug has become commonplace.
“Cocaine, which sold for 80-100 euros in 2019, is now accessible for 50-60 euros, with deal points that sell it in “fragmented”, therefore from 30 euros per half gram”, he emphasizes.
Read also : He fired on instructions, the author of the shots which seriously injured a boy is a 16 year old teenager
Consequence of these “more affordable prices”: ever-increasing consumers. A clientele that is not getting younger yet “because 30 euros is still a significant amount for young people.”
“Cocaine is the most sold product (by dealers) after cannabis. in Rennes, reports the expert. Its intake, like that of hashish, “is completely uninhibited, (…) consumers are no longer afraid to say that they take it or that they smoke it.”
For the researcher, we consume as many drugs in Brittany as elsewhere in France. However, the presence of numerous festivals and the strong presence of free parties in Brittany have led to the trivialization of certain drugs, such as ecstasy.
“Twenty years ago, ecstasy was only consumed at free parties, now it is present in festive contexts in general,” he remarks. Ketamine, an anesthetic sometimes misused for stimulating or euphoric purposes, “follows the same path”, according to Guillaume Pavic.
Aware of this phenomenon, many cultural actors are strengthening their range of prevention to protect festival-goers. At the beginning of December, the famous Rennes Trans Musicales festival set up a stand offering “risk prevention equipment”, like straws, in order to allow “taking cocaine without contamination between festival-goers”.
Could the rise of the online market lead to the end of physical deal points? The virtual market, via encrypted messaging and the darknet, “is gaining more and more momentum, but it does not dry up the deal points in Rennes”, according to Mr. Pavic. “This makes it possible to reach other consumers, in small towns or rural areas for example, with home delivery,” he observes.
In Rennes, “we remain with extremely well-established physical points of sale, which will be difficult to dislodge, even with repressive means”estimates the researcher.
