European Cannabis Use at All Time High

Cannabis remains the most commonly used drug in the EU with roughly one in five adult Europeans having tried it at least once in their lifetime. The 2004 annual report from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) published on Thursday in Brussels also shows that cannabis use has now stabilized in Europe -- although at historically high levels. Around 15 percent of 15-16-year-old school students in the EU who have used cannabis in the last year are described as "heavy" cannabis users -- defined as using the drug 40 or more times per year. Young male students are more than twice as likely to be "heavy users" as girls, said the report. Ecstasy may be catching up or overtaking amphetamines as Europe’s No 2 drug after cannabis. Heroin use is now relatively stable in many EU countries and the number of new users has fallen since the 1990s, while cocaine use has risen to some extent among young people in Denmark, Germany, Spain and the UK. Overall less than 1 percent of the European adult population (15-64 years) can be defined as problem drug-users. Drug-related deaths fell from 8,838 in 2000 to 8,306 in 2001 representing a small but significant 6 percent decrease. (EUobserver.com)