Overview
- The EU Drugs Agency presented its annual report on Tuesday and estimated at least 7,600 fatal drug overdoses in 2024, with most deaths involving opioids combined with other substances.
- Authorities reported large increases in highly potent synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and newly identified orphines, including the seizure of more than 50,000 nitazene-containing fake tablets and over 34 kilograms of synthetic opioids.
- Criminal networks are changing how they move drugs by using smaller, less-scrutinised ports, at-sea transfers with speedboats, drones and semi-submersibles, and by fragmenting consignments to evade detection.
- Organised groups are increasingly recruiting vulnerable young people for transport, street distribution and violent enforcement, which is raising risks in affected communities.
- EU institutions are preparing a comprehensive response that pairs tougher enforcement and precursor controls with expanded prevention, treatment and harm-reduction measures to limit further deaths and public-health harm.