EMCDDA releases 2007 Annual report

Cited from Drugnet Europe No. 60, October–December 2007, p.1 

'After over a decade of rising drug use, Europe may now be entering a more stable phase. Not only are there signs that heroin use and drug injecting have become generally less common, but new data suggest that levels of cannabis use may now be stabilising after a sustained period of growth.  Nevertheless, positive messages are marred by high levels of drug-related deaths and rising cocaine use.' These were the key points stressed by the EMCDDA as it launched its 2007 Annual report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe on 22 November in Brussels. 

EMCCDA Director Wolfgang Götz highlighted in particular that drug use has stabilised in a number of important areas, albeit at historically high levels. In some cases, there are even signs that merit cautious optimism – such as relatively stable levels of heroin and cannabis use and mostly low rates of HIV transmission among drug injectors. There had also been a dramatic increase in countries’ investment in prevention, treatment and harm-reduction activities and improved focus and cooperation in supply reduction. Furthermore, the EU is backing global actions to reduce drug problems by funding supply and demand reduction measures in third countries to the tune of at least € 750 million. 

HIV: overall positive assessment

Cited from Drugnet Europe No. 60, October–December 2007, p.8 

The rate of HIV transmission among injecting drug users (IDUs) was low in most EU countries in 2005. This positive picture can be seen in the context of greater availability of prevention, treatment and harm- reduction measures and declining popularity of drug injecting in some countries. With the expansion of services, the HIV epidemics seen earlier in Europe seem largely to have been avoided. According to the Annual report: 'The situation in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania remains a concern, but here again most of the recent data point to a relative decrease in new infections'. As a result of lower rates of transmission, the overall burden of infection resulting from injecting drug use is likely to be falling, especially in areas of high prevalence. Although injecting drug use has become less important as a route of HIV transmission, the EMCDDA estimates that, in 2005, it still accounted for some 3 500 newly diagnosed cases of HIV in the EU. This figure may be low by historical standards, yet it still represents a  considerable public health problem. The report states that between 100,000 and 200,000 people who have ever injected drugs are living with HIV. The hepatitis C virus (HCV), however, is more prevalent among IDUs in the EU than HIV and more evenly distributed. The EMCDDA estimates that around 1 million people who have ever injected drugs are living with HCV. 

The 2007 EMCDDA report is covered in the article ‘2007 report on the drugs problem in Europe’, on p. 18 of this issue.