歐洲古柯鹼緝獲量達到創紀錄水平 – 歐盟藥品管理局

作者：Axel Bugge; 2019年6月8日; 資料援引自：歐洲古柯鹼緝獲量達到創紀錄水平 – 歐盟藥品管理局 – 

Medscape /2019年6月6日。財團法人台灣紅絲帶基金會編譯。

里斯本（路透社） – 總部位於里斯本的歐盟藥品管理局週四表示，歐洲當局緝獲的古柯鹼數量在2017年翻了一番，達到創紀錄的140噸，這表明來自拉丁美洲的藥物供應量沖天式的大幅增加。

當金融危機時古柯鹼其高昂價格導致消費減少，但自此之後又在歐洲取得了戲劇性的復出，不斷增長的生產供應、更多的走私幫夥和更高的收入正在推動其復甦。

歐盟藥品管理局( EMCDDA)在其關於歐洲毒品情況的年度報告中表示，2017年是目前可獲得數據最近之一年，其古柯鹼緝獲量突增 –從前一年的71噸往上暴增。 而之前的峰值係於2006年，緝獲量達到了120噸。

報告稱，最近的證據顯示，英國，法國和荷蘭古柯鹼的使用量正在上升。據估計，2017年全歐盟有260萬年齡介於15至34歲的人使用古柯鹼。

歐洲古柯鹼供應之激增使其藥物價格保持穩定，而其純度則是十年來最高的。

「古柯鹼透過多種途徑和方式進入歐洲，而使用海運貨櫃進行大規模非法販運的增長則是一項重大挑戰」，報告稱。

緝獲量最高的是比利時有45噸，走私者通過安特衛普運送古柯鹼，安特衛普是歐洲最大的港口之一。而西班牙以41噸排名第二，再次是法國和荷蘭。

該報告指出社交媒體和互聯網被使用於提供古柯鹼。

「有證據顯示，使用社交媒體，其中暗網市場和加密技術使得小團體和個人能夠參與在毒品交易上，正在扮演越來越大的角色」，它說。

報告稱，還有更多的跡象顯示古柯鹼的使用導致了更多的健康問題，歐盟民眾在2014年至2017年間需要接受治療的人數增加了37％，他們說。每年共有73,000人需要針對古柯鹼提供專門的治療，而其中有11,000人是快克–古柯鹼。

路透社健康信息©2019，資料援引：歐洲古柯鹼緝獲量達到創紀錄水平 – 歐盟藥品管理局 –  Medscape/ 2019年6月6日。

Seizures of Cocaine in Europe Hit Record Amount – EU Drugs Agency

By Axel Bugge; June 08, 2019;

LISBON (Reuters) – The amount of cocaine seized by authorities in Europe doubled in 2017 to reach a record 140 tonnes in a strong indication of soaring mass supply of the drug coming from Latin America, the Lisbon-based EU drugs agency said on Thursday.

Cocaine has made a dramatic comeback in Europe since the financial crisis when its high price dented consumption. Growing production supply, more smuggling gangs and higher incomes are now fueling a revival.

The EMCDDA agency said in its yearly report on the European drug situation that cocaine seizures jumped in 2017 – the last year with available data – from 71 tonnes a year earlier. The previous peak was reached in 2006 with 120 tonnes seized.

Recent evidence suggests that cocaine use is rising in the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands, the report said. An estimated 2.6 million people aged between 15 and 34 used cocaine in 2017 in all of the EU.

The surge in supply of cocaine in Europe left the price of the drug stable, but its purity was the highest in a decade.

“Cocaine enters Europe through numerous routes and means, but the growth in large-volume trafficking, using maritime shipping containers, stands out as a major challenge,” said the report.

The highest seizures were in Belgium with 45 tonnes, where smugglers ship cocaine through Antwerp, one of Europe’s biggest ports. Spain was second with 41 tonnes, followed by France and the Netherlands.

The report noted the use of social media and the internet in supplying cocaine.

” There is evidence that the use of social media, darknet marketplaces and encryption techniques are playing an increasing role in enabling smaller groups and individuals to engage in drug dealing,” it said.

There are also more signs that cocaine use is causing more health problems, with a 37 percent rise in people in the European Union needing medical treatment between 2014 and 2017, the report said. A total of 73,000 people a year needed specialized treatments for cocaine, of which 11,000 were for crack cocaine, it said.

Reuters Health Information © 2019 

Cite this: Seizures of Cocaine in Europe Hit Record Amount – EU Drugs Agency – Medscape – Jun 06, 2019.