New psychoactive substances (NPS) are still being detected in Europe at a rate of ‘around one a week’, according to EUDA’s European drug report 2026: trends and developments.
Fifty were reported for the first time last year, bringing the number being monitored in Europe to 1,050. ‘Among these are potent new synthetic opioids,’ the agency warns. People who use drugs are facing more and more health risks, as markets rapidly evolve and become ever more complex, says the report – which is based on data from nearly 30 countries. Ketamine is becoming more embedded in the European drug landscape, with health services ‘beginning to feel the impact’. The number of people entering treatment for ketamine has quadrupled in the space of five years, with treatment availability remaining uneven. There have been ‘strong increases’ in both ketamine and cocaine detections in European wastewater analysis, according to recent analysis.
Levels of cocaine use remain high across the continent, with around 4.3m people having used it in the last year. Cocaine is now the second most common substance among first time entrants to drug treatment, with crack cocaine a significant problem in many cities, particularly among marginalised groups. This is potentially being driven by high levels of cocaine availability and the ease of local conversion from powder cocaine, says EUDA. ‘Crack cocaine use is placing increasing strain on harm reduction and treatment providers as they respond to the needs of a group experiencing serious health and social problems,’ it states.
Opioids, usually in combination with other substances, remain Europe’s leading cause of drug-related deaths, with at least 7,600 fatal overdoses in the EU in 2024. Almost 100 new synthetic opioids have been detected since 2009, with China’s blanket ban on nitazenes in July 2025 possibly redirecting the market towards other substances. Nine new orphines have been identified in the last two years, linked to nearly 20 deaths. Fentanyl, meanwhile, was linked to more than 100 deaths in Bulgaria alone between 2024 and 2025.
The heroin market is also proving resilient, EUDA states, with ‘tactical supply management’ of Afghanistan’s large opium stockpiles providing a ‘buffer’ to the sharp decline in cultivation and production after the Taliban’s 2022 opium ban. Production is also shifting elsewhere, it points out, with 9,000 hectares of opium poppy cultivation in Pakistan – rivalling Afghanistan’s output – and cultivation in Myanmar reaching a ten-year peak. EUDA estimates that there are around 522,000 people who inject drugs in the EU, rising to 530,000 with the inclusion of Norway.
The continent’s drug markets are also continuing to have an impact on security, with drug-related intimidation and violence remaining a concern – including ‘the exploitation and recruitment of vulnerable young people by criminal groups to traffic drugs and perpetuate violence’. Traffickers are also quick to adapt to enforcement efforts, with more drugs now entering Europe via smaller ports following intensified policing at Rotterdam, Antwerp and elsewhere.
Timely identification of new substances and emerging trends is vital, the report stresses. ‘The increasing overlap between the illicit drug and new psychoactive substance markets, including fake and diverted medicines, contributes to the potential for sudden shifts in the substance types available at retail level. This can increase people’s exposure to unpredictable health risks from unknowingly using highly potent substances that appear on the market.’
‘Drug markets are evolving at speed, with the variety of substances on Europe’s streets becoming ever more unpredictable,’ said EUDA executive director Dr Lorraine Nolan. ‘This raises the risk: people may be taking high-potency drugs, often without knowing it. A balanced approach is essential, tackling both supply and demand. As well as being grounded in science, it must also be focused on human rights and public health.’
The report revealed the ‘human cost of drug use, with the latest annual figures showing at least 7,600 overdose deaths’, said European commissioner for internal affairs and migration, Magnus Brunner. ‘We must pull out all the stops to prevent dangerous new products from flooding the market and use the full force of the law to strip illegal traffickers of their business model.’
European drug report 2026: trends and developments available here