Overview

• The European Drugs Agency reported 7,500 drug-related deaths in 2023, up from 7,100 in 2022, with potent synthetic opioids linked to most fatalities.
• Seizures of synthetic cathinones rose to 37 tonnes in 2023, and authorities dismantled 53 production sites across the EU, compared with 29 the year before.
• Since 2009, 88 new synthetic opioids have appeared on the European market, raising the risk of severe intoxication and overdose.
• The agency flagged cases of cannabis products adulterated with powerful synthetic cannabinoids that pose hidden health dangers.
• New measures include a European alert system, a health-threat evaluation framework and a network of forensic labs to boost information sharing and law enforcement cooperation.