What effect is COVID-19 having on the drug market in the EU? This joint publication from the EMCDDA and Europol analyses the impact of the pandemic on the market for the main drug types (cannabis, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, NPS), including demand, production, trafficking and availability. It reports higher prices, local shortages and reduced purity for some drugs, while noting continued violence among suppliers and distributors. It also shows how organised crime groups remain active and resilient, by adapting transportation models, trafficking routes and concealment methods, even during the pandemic.

Table of contents

• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Key findings
• Impacts and drivers of drug markets
• Cannabis
• Heroin
• Cocaine
• Amphetamine, MDMA and methamphetamine
• Criminal groups
• Law enforcement responses
• Outlook
• References