The Drugs Trade How Big Is The Problem-And Who Is Paying The Price?

Over the past 10 years, Europe has developed a serious cocaine problem. The drug, originating in the jungles of South America, is being transported, sold and consumed across the European continent in record amounts.

- Annie Kelly

The increasing demand from users - and the huge profits to be made in this booming marketplace - is reshaping the international drug trafficking trade on both sides of the Atlantic and its widespread availability is leaving a trail of addiction, organised crime and human rights abuses in its wake.

What is cocaine and how is it made? Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant made from the leaves of the coca plant, native to Andean countries in South America, especially Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

Usually manufactured in makeshift labs, cocaine is often cut with a variety of substances before it is sold and then distributed as a white, crystalline powder that can be snorted or injected. It can also be combined with baking soda to create a rock-like product called "crack" cocaine, which is usually smoked.

How much cocaine is coming to Europe? According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), people in Europe accounted for 21% of all global users of cocaine in 2021.