A global problem
Several factors explain this increase. Global production has never been higher in Colombia, Bolivia and Peru – the three main producing countries – with 2,700 tonnes of cocaine in 2022 compared to 1,134 tonnes in 2010, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Drugs. crime.
This availability is also reflected in repression: the French authorities seized 23.5 tonnes of cocaine in 2023, compared to 4.1 tonnes in 2010. Over the first 11 months of 2024, nearly 47 tonnes of cocaine which were seized by the French services responsible for the fight against narcotics.
Different situation in Belgium where the authorities note a significant decline in cocaine seizures at the port of Antwerp: they fell in 2024 to 44 tonnes, compared to 116 tonnes the previous year, thanks to strengthening cooperation with Latin America and controls in shipping countries.
It is “the first time since 2013” that the volume of seizures is falling on this traffic hub in Europe, explained Kristian Vanderwaeren, general administrator of Belgian customs, at the beginning of January, who presented his annual report.
“Keep working”
Another important factor in the evolution of cocaine consumption in France: “the evolution of working conditions, with workers who use it to ‘keep at work’, either to support intensive paces (catering), or to cope with the arduousness of working conditions (fishermen)”underlines Ivana Obradovic, deputy director of the OFDT.
Finally there is the “diversification of forms of consumption, with the diffusion of cocaine base (crack) and the trivialization of the image of cocaine, a drug which has become ‘familiar’ and perceived as ‘less dangerous’ than 20 years ago “she continues.
Michael Hogge, scientific and epidemiological project manager at Eurotox, confirms that the same is true for us, where “cocaine is very widespread and very accessible”.
Although we do not have very recent figures to compare with the data for France, it is clear that“in Belgium, we are seeing an increase in requests for treatment, particularly for crack. But this only represents a part of the users”.
Regarding cocaine, the number of requests for treatment to treat addiction is increasing, increasing from 2,500 people in 2015 to 4,200 in 2022.
Sharp increase in MDMA and ecstasy users
Other data revealed by the latest study by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies: the progression of drugs other than cocaine.
The figures remain relatively stable for cannabis, the most consumed drug in France, with 5 million users per year in 2023, 1.4 million regular users (10 times in the last 30 days, Editor’s note) and 900,000 daily consumers.
“It is among young adults that there have been the greatest increases in experimentation and use during the year”especially for stimulants like cocaine and ecstasy/MDMA, comments Ivana Obradovic.
The use of MDMA/ecstasy has jumped from 400,000 to 750,000 people between 2019 and 2023 having used the product at least once during the year.
Experimentation with heroin, a powerful opioid, continues to progress in France, with 850,000 experimenters (+350,000 since the previous study).
If heroin was historically obtained in strongholds such as the Meuse, consumers can now find it everywhere in France.
Moreover, “Heroin use no longer only affects the most vulnerable, there are more socially integrated people who consume it in a ‘snorting’ manner”details Ms. Obradovic.
The turnover from drug trafficking is estimated between 3.5 and 6 billion euros per year in France. In a recent study, the OFDT measured the social cost – value of human lives lost, loss of quality of life, cost to public finances – represented by illicit drugs at 7.7 billion euros.
