The EU Drugs Agency has expressed concern that vapes may become a vehicle for a range of harmful substances following the seizure of vaping products containing synthetic and semi-synthetic forms of cannabis.
EUDA expressed concern that the popularity of vapes among adolescents in Europe could increasingly see them containing drugs, including new synthetic opioids.
The warning was contained in the latest annual report of the Lisbon-based agency, which claimed people who use drugs in Europe are facing new health risks as drug markets evolve rapidly and become more complex.
EUDA said the wide availability and use of an increasingly diverse range of substances, often of high potency or purity, is posing a serious risk to public health.
It claimed new cannabis products are continuing to appear, while the variety of opioids and stimulants sold is also increasing.
“Drug markets are evolving at speed with the variety of substances on Europe’s streets becoming even more unpredictable,” said EUDA executive director, Lorraine Nolan.
Dr Nolan claimed it raised the risk that people may unknowingly be taking high potency drugs.
EUDA said cannabis products, which were adulterated with potent synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids, are being sold in vapes and edibles which raised concerns about uptake among new and possibly younger consumers.
Although consumption of ketamine remains relatively low, EUDA said it is also becoming more common in some youth and nightlife settings.
It said the impact of the drug was being felt by health services with numbers seeking treatment for ketamine abuse in the EU having quadrupled since 2019 to 1,796 in 2024.
According to EUDA, new psychoactive substances (NPSs) are still being detected at a rate of around one a week with 50 recorded last year, while it is now monitoring a total of 1,050 NPSs.
It also expressed concern that polysubstance use is common with people combining drugs in ways that increase risk and complicate treatment.
EUDA said drug markets were also impacting on Europe’s security as drug-related intimidation and violence remain a concern, particularly in relation to the exploitation and recruitment of vulnerable young people by criminal groups.
It observed that drug trafficking networks have adapted quickly to intensified policing operations at major European ports by diversifying their routes and methods to evade detection.
EUDA said criminal groups were increasingly using smaller ports and transferring drugs at sea to “go fast” boats as well as using semi-submersibles, drones and sophisticated concealment techniques.
According to the report, increasing amounts of herbal cannabis are now being trafficked into Europe from Canada and the US and to a lesser extent, Thailand.
EUDA claimed overproduction, lower prices and strong competition in the North American cannabis market have resulted in cheaper, higher-potency products.
The report said cannabis remained the most widely consumed illicit drug in Europe with an estimated 24.9 million adults in Europe having used it in the last year.
Cannabis also accounts for a third of people entering drug treatment in Europe – an estimated 104,000 people in 2024.
EUDA said cocaine use also remains high with around 4.3 million adults in Europe consuming the drug each year with the number entering treatment for related problems also increasing.
It said data indicated that cocaine is responsible for over a quarter of drug-induced deaths.
After years of record seizures, the volume of cocaine intercepted in Europe fell by 21% in 2024 to 330 tonnes, including 3.3 tonnes in Ireland, although the number of individual seizures rose 2% to 97,000.
Opioids, usually in combination with other substances, remain the leading cause of drug-induced deaths in Europe
The EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, said the report revealed the human cost of drug use with at least 7,600 overdose deaths recorded in the EU in 2024.
“We must pull out all the stops to prevent dangerous new products from flooding the market and use the full force of the law to strip illegal traffickers of their business model,” said Mr Brunner.
EUDA said its ability to address complex challenges depends on stronger service-provision systems and sustained investment in prevention, treatment, harm reduction and social reintegration.
