Cocaine Purity in EU Reaches Highest Level in a Decade

A European Union report has found that the street cocaine sold in Europe has hit the highest level of purity “in a decade,” according to The Guardian. The report also found that the number of EU residents seeking treatment for cocaine addiction has increased to 30,300—one-fifth more than the number seen in 2014. While the price of the drug has remained fairly stable, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction found the increase in purity started in 2010 and continued in 2016. The report also found an increase in trace amounts of the drug in municipal wastewater. Cocaine is the “most commonly used illicit stimulant in Europe.” The center said the increases were a consequence of “increased cocaine production in South America.”