Barcelona is the European city that presented the largest amount of cannabis residues in its wastewater in 2021, according to a study carried out in 75 cities by the European Agency for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA, for its acronym in English). The study reveals that an average of 450 milligrams per day per 1,000 inhabitants were found in the Catalan capital’s wastewater last year. This is triple that in the waters of Amsterdam (Netherlands), second on the list, with just over 150 milligrams daily.
Cannabis Consumption Rises in Barcelona
The study also reveals that in the last two years, the consumption of marijuana in Barcelona has been growing; according to the remains found in its wastewater, the presence of cannabis has almost quadrupled. In 2019, 149 milligrams per 1,000 inhabitants had been detected. Regarding cocaine use, they found 665 milligrams per 1,000 inhabitants in Barcelona. Conversely, in Amsterdam it was 886 milligrams.
The European Drug Agency, which has not analyzed Madrid’s wastewater, has calculated that in all of Europe there are around 22 million people who habitually consume cannabis. This a historical record on the European continent; additionally, all countries there have found an increase in traces of all kinds of drugs in their wastewater.
The project has analyzed wastewater in 75 European cities in 25 countries to study the drug use behavior of its inhabitants. This is the largest number of countries that have participated to date, despite the disruption caused by Covid-19 in the study period. The 2021 study points to an overall increase in detection for four of the five drugs studied; further, MDMA is the only drug to see declines in most of the cities surveyed.
Photo by Daniel Corneschi on Unsplash
This Study Reveals Valuable Information on Emerging Drug Trends
The study reveals that cocaine, although the most prominent drug in Western and Southern European cities, is increasingly found in Eastern European cities. Similarly, methamphetamine, historically concentrated in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is now found in cities across Europe. According to the director of the EMCDDA, Alexis Goosdeel, “today’s findings provide us with a valuable snapshot of drug use in 75 cities and offer us invaluable information on emerging trends.”
“The results show an increase and spread of most of the substances studied, reflecting a drug problem that is both widespread and complex,” added Goosdeel.
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