Crack has overtaken cocaine and heroin to become Belgium’s third most common substance addiction after cannabis and alcohol, according to figures reported by De Standaard.
The newspaper, citing the Belgian Treatment Demand Indicator (TDI) compiled by Sciensano, said the number of treatments for crack addiction has doubled over the past decade.
In 2016, 1,031 treatments were recorded. By 2025, that figure had risen to 2,017.
The number of crack addiction cases has increased in every part of the country. The sharpest increase was recorded in Brussels, where the number of addiction treatments rose from 273 in 2016 to 697 in 2025. Wallonia recorded the next biggest rise, followed by Flanders.
The figures are likely to underestimate the true scale of the problem, as the people most dependent on crack are often marginalised and living in poverty according to a research paper by Safe.brussels. The data also include only treatments that were actually started.
At the same time, addiction services are already under heavy pressure. In Brussels in particular, where crack is causing the most harm, there is a shortage of available treatment centres.
