Six in 10 Europeans see drug trafficking and drug use as a serious problem in their local area, according to the first large-scale survey by the European Union Drugs Agency, published on Thursday.
The survey questioned 95,883 people across 35 countries, including 76,766 in the EU’s 27 Member States. It examined perceptions of drug-related problems and attitudes towards different policy responses.
Half of those surveyed said drug trafficking had increased in their area over the past five years. In Belgium, 63% of respondents described drug use as a serious problem, placing the country 10th in the ranking.
One in three Europeans said the involvement of children and teenagers in the drug trade was a major public safety concern. That ranked ahead of violence, cited by 27%, and driving under the influence, cited by 26%.
Almost 40% of respondents also identified mental health problems as the main public health concern linked to drugs.
The study also pointed to the ease with which drugs can be obtained. Nearly half of those surveyed, 48%, said they could get cannabis within 24 hours, while about one third said the same for cocaine or MDMA.
On policy, tougher law enforcement emerged as the preferred response to trafficking. Nearly four in 10 Europeans, or 39%, called for harsher penalties for traffickers, while only 13% supported legalising drugs.
Views were different, however, when it came to people with drug-related legal problems. Some 45% favoured support and treatment, compared with 31% who preferred criminal penalties.
“Europeans want strong action against drug traffickers and criminal networks, but they also recognise the importance of providing support to people affected by drug use,” said Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration.
