Drug report 2024: Austria's consumption behavior under scrutiny

Drug report 2024: Austria's consumption behavior under scrutiny

In the latest reports on drug consumption in Austria, the result of wastewater-based drug monitoring stands out: for 2024, it was found that Austria is at the top in the consumption of ecstasy (MDMA). This emerges from the comprehensive analyzes that were carried out in 17 sewage treatment plants in the country and one plant in South Tyrol. In total, the wastewater from 135 cities and regions in Europe was examined, with Austria providing only 13 percent of the European data, according to Herbert Oberacher, head of the wastewater laboratory at the Medical University of Innsbruck.

The EU Drug Agency (EUDA) publishes the results of these studies every March, which always reflect the consumption behavior of the population. Cannabis remains the most widely used drug, while cocaine use continues to rise. The values ​​obtained make it possible to analyze the drug consumption of around 3.5 million people in Austria and South Tyrol. On average, each resident in the regions studied consumes a little more than a glass of wine every day, smokes between three and four cigarettes and consumes around 1.5 milligrams of stimulant drugs.

Drug use details

What is particularly striking is the increase in cocaine consumption, which is more pronounced in western Austria and South Tyrol than in eastern Austria, with Kufstein having the highest per capita consumption. While THC consumption is significantly higher in urban areas than in rural areas, the analysis shows that per capita consumption of MDMA reaches a surprising high in rural areas like Purgstall. The study therefore not only documents the consumption of drugs after work on the weekend, but also the variations in consumption behavior at the regional level.

The data from the wastewater-based monitoring program provides a valuable basis for health policy strategies and their adaptations. As Oberacher emphasizes, the increase in cocaine consumption reflects a long-term trend that can be quickly observed in Austria's wastewater. In the future, continuous monitoring could provide even deeper insights into the drug problem and changes in consumer behavior, as far as the analysis of drug markets is concerned noen.at reported.

With these results it is clear that Austria is not only a center of drug consumption, but also that the trend of consumption is increasing over the years, which may require more research and measures to combat drug abuse in the future, as well scientific analyses underline.