BRUSSELS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Increased cocaine production in South America is having an impact in Europe, with the drug's purity currently at the highest level for over a decade here, according to a Thursday report.
The annual report by Lisbon-based European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction found a resurgence of cocaine, with wastewater analysis in some countries has provided an early warning of increased availability and use of the drug, which are now also reflected in other data sources.
The number of first-time admissions to specialized treatment related to cocaine is rising, although not reaching the high levels last seen a decade ago.
While still rare, reported crack cocaine use is also increasing, and concerns exist that this may be beginning to affect more countries, the report said.
After a period of decline, the overall number of cocaine first-time treatment entrants increased to 30,300 in 2016, by over a fifth from 2014. While much of this increase is accounted for by Italy and Britain, almost all countries reported increases during the same period.
The report estimated that one in 20, or 17 million European aged 15-64 had tried cocaine during their lives. About 2.3 million young adults (aged 15-34), or 1.9 percent of the age group, used the drug last year.
