Antwerp wastewater contains highest concentration of cocaine in Europe
Antwerp has more cocaine in its wastewater than any other European city surveyed, according to new research published on Wednesday by the European Drugs Agency (EDA) and the SCORE research network.
Antwerp has previously been found to have the highest concentrations of cocaine in its wastewater. This time, the Spanish coastal city of Tarragona and the Dutch capital Amsterdam came second and third. Worldwide, Antwerp ranks fifth, after several South American cities.
High levels of cocaine were also found in Brussels. According to the EDA, the concentration of residues in the capital has doubled compared to last year, putting Brussels in fourth place in Europe for cocaine.
Mainly on weekends
Amsterdam tops the list for MDMA concentrations in wastewater, followed by Antwerp and Rotterdam. Amphetamines or speed seem to be especially popular in Norway and Sweden. Crystal meth is found mainly in Central and Eastern Europe.
The EDA also notes that in most cities, cocaine, ketamine and MDMA were found mainly in weekend measurements. This probably indicates that these drugs are mainly used for recreational purposes. For other drugs, such as cannabis and crystal meth, weekday and weekend findings were more similar.
The study involved 128 European cities in 26 countries. The data was collected between March and May 2024 and analysed the wastewater of around 68.8 million people in total.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO THIERRY ROGE
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