Changes in the supply and use of established drugs and the emergence of a record number of new substances increasingly test Europe’s drug control models, says the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA). These challenges are described in the Annual report 2010: the state of the drugs problem in Europe, launched by the EMCDDA today in Lisbon. Among them: sophisticated cocaine smuggling techniques; changes in the stimulant market; widespread domestic cannabis production; and the continuous appearance of ‘legal highs’ designed to replace controlled substances.
Cocaine: sophisticated smuggling techniques and growing health concerns

Increasingly sophisticated techniques to conceal and smuggle cocaine into Europe are reviewed today in the Annual report. One such technique involves incorporating cocaine base or hydrochloride (HCI) into carrier materials (e.g. beeswax, plastic, clothing, fertiliser) before export, then extracting it in clandestine laboratories set up inside EU borders. Some 25 of these so-called ‘secondary extraction’ laboratories were uncovered in the EU in 2008 (in Spain). These perform a different function from laboratories in South America which first extract cocaine base or HCI from coca leaves or coca paste .

emcdda
2010 Annual report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe
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