This survey assesses the impact of drug use and drug trafficking on communities across the EU. It focuses particularly on how serious the use of illicit drugs and drug trafficking are perceived to be at the local level, the prevalence of related issues, and potential regulatory measures. Approximately 40% of respondents view the use of illicit drugs as a serious problem, while 41% consider drug trafficking to be a major concern.

Key findings:
Perceived seriousness of the use of illicit drugs and drug trafficking in local areas 
39% of respondents think that the use of illicit drugs is a serious problem in their local area: 18% think it is a ‘very serious’ problem and 21% a ‘somewhat serious’ problem. In contrast, 25% of respondents say that the use of illicit drugs is not too serious a problem in their local area and 33% think it is not a problem at all. About four in ten respondents (41%) think that the trafficking of drugs is serious problem in their local area: 22% say it is a ‘very serious’ and 19% a ‘somewhat serious’ problem. Just over one in five respondents (22%) think drug trafficking is not too serious a problem in their local area. Finally, a third (33%) of respondents think it is not a problem at all in their local area. Overall, about a third of respondents (34%) think that problems caused by drug use and drug trafficking have increased in their local area over the past few years, whereas 11% think that those problems have decreased.

Security and public health issues related to drugs:
Over a third (39%) of respondents agree that the availability and use of drugs is a central factor to reducing the overall quality of life in their local area, and 34% agree it has a negative impact on their own health and well-being and that of those close to them. Moreover, around a third (31%) of respondents consider that the availability and use of drugs make them feel unsafe near their home, school or place of work. The most perceived pressing public health issue related to drug use is mental health issues (48% of respondents), followed by long-term health conditions (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, respiratory issues) (29%) and strain on emergency medical services (28%).

Support for the banning and regulation of drugs:
A large majority of respondents support the current EU-wide ban on the supply of heroin (91%), MDMA (ecstasy) (87%) and cocaine (87%). 53% of respondents are in favour of the regulation of cannabis for recreational use, however this share has decreased by nine percentage points compared to 2021. There is also a divergence of views regarding support for banning cannabis for recreational use across the EU. In eight countries (BG, EE, EL, CY, LV, RO, FI, SE), a majority of respondents think the recreational use of cannabis should be banned. The number of countries where a majority of respondents support a ban on the use of cannabis has doubled as compared to 2021.

Public policies to reduce drug-related issues: 
Finally, the two most-listed ways for public authorities to effectively reduce problems posed by drug trafficking and drug use are tough measures against drug traffickers (43%) and education, information and prevention interventions (41%). These are followed by dismantling criminal networks involved in drug trafficking (35%) and offering sport, entertainment and cultural activities for young people (32%).

[More detail is available in the report and on the Eurobarometer website]