Cocaine Surge Is Public Health ‘Time Bomb,’ EU Drugs Chief Warns
- EU Drugs Agency director speaks in Bloomberg interview
- Agency takes on expanded mandate to respond to drugs wave
Europe needs to brace for the costly public health consequences of higher drug use in the coming years as it continues to battle a massive inflow of cocaine and the resulting spike in trafficking-related violence, warns the head of the newly revamped European Union drugs agency.
Alexis Goosdeel said in an interview that it will likely take at least two to three years to see the broader impact on Europeans’ health, which would put further pressure on countries’ budgets.