Europe sees rising overdosing deaths

The overdosing death has risen for the third consecutive year in Europe, according to an annual drug report released on Tuesday by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

The report -- European Drug Report 2017: Trends and Developments -- showed that a total of 8,441 overdose deaths, mainly related to heroin and other opioids, were estimated to have occurred in European Union's (EU) 28 member states, Turkey and Norway in 2015.

This amounts to a 6-percent increase on the estimated 7,950 deaths in these 30 countries in 2014.

According to the reports, almost all age groups witnessed increases in this regard and Europe's 1.3 million problem opioid users are among the most vulnerable.

"Over 93 million Europeans have tried an illicit drug in their lives and overdose deaths continue to rise for the third year in a row," Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, said in the report.

"I am especially concerned that young people are exposed to many new and dangerous drugs," he added.

According to the EMCDDA, so-called "new drugs" or new psychoactive substances are a public health challenge and are not covered by international drug controls.

"New psychoactive substances need new legislation and measures targeting high-street shops that sell these products," said agency director Alexis Goosdeel.

"Despite positive signs of a slowdown in product innovation, overall availability remains high," he added.

Europeans spend 24 billion euros (27.06 billion U.S. dollars) on narcotics each year, according to the EMCDDA.

Intervention methods to prevent overdoses in Europe include supervised drug consumption rooms (DCRs) and the provision of "take-home" naloxone (opioid overdose-reversal drug) to opioid users, their peers and families.

DCRs now operate in six EU countries and Norway. Take-home naloxone programs now exist in nine EU countries and Norway, according to the report.

Besides, the report also explored signs of rising cocaine availability, developments in cannabis policies, and substance use among school students.