Rapid shifts in Europe’s drug market are creating new health and security risks and challenging the region’s capacity to respond. This warning comes from the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) in its European Drug Report 2025: Trends and Developments, released today. Based on data from 29 countries (EU-27, Norway and Türkiye), this annual review highlights latest trends and emerging threats.
Now in its 30th edition, the report provides evidence to inform drug policy and practice. It shows how Europe’s drug market continues to evolve, with both suppliers and consumers adapting to geopolitical instability, globalisation and technological advances. It also warns of risks to public health, posed by the availability and use of an increasingly diverse range of substances, often of high potency and purity. Polysubstance use remains a concern, complicating the delivery of effective prevention, treatment and harm reduction services.
The EUDA supports the EU and its Member States in anticipating and responding to new drug-related challenges. It does so via a range of new services, including targeted alerts, timely threat assessments, precursor tracking, and in-depth forensic and toxicological analyses. Among the emerging threats highlighted in the report — and which call for Member State preparedness — are: synthetic cathinones, highly potent synthetic opioids and potent cannabis products.
The key stories are:
- Europe’s stimulant market: cathinones gaining ground.
- New synthetic opioids: nitazenes pose risk of fatal poisonings.
- Potent cannabis products and wider availability of semi-synthetic cannabinoids.
- Cocaine: rising health concerns and high availability.
- Strengthening EU preparedness on drugs: new EUDA services.
Accompanying the report is the 2025 Statistical Bulletin containing national datasets.
The entire source data set for the report, including data for tables which appear within the report, may be found here.
Digital format of European Drug Report 2025: Trends and Developments
Europe’s drug situation in 2025 – key developments