That Drugs circulate in prisons It's not news, but now at certify it black on white is the latest annual report produced by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (Euda). Not only do drugs circulate in penitentiaries, but even create new followers.
In the EU, the prevalence of regular drug use or drug dependence before imprisonment ranges from 8 to 73%. And once crossed the prison gate? The Euda report notes that "the majority of drug addicts reduce or stop their drug use when they enter prison, but some inmates continue their pattern of drug use, while others begin using drugs in prison. Available studies indicate that between 8 and 60 percent of inmates report drug use in prison and 10 to 36 percent report regular drug use.”
A submerged and tolerated market
Compared to the general population, within the prison population drug users are overrepresented. The lifetime prevalence of drug use among prisoners varies greatly, from 22 to 86%, depending on the prison population, the penitentiary and the country (139). As in the general population, the cannabis It is the illicit drug reported with higher frequency, with a lifetime prevalence among prisoners ranging from 11 to 86%. Also among prisoners, the lifetime prevalence of cocaine (and crack cocaine) use ranges from 5 to 57% and that of heroin from 5 to 66%.
“Drugs come introduced into prisons in various ways, including the'internal concealment by people in prison, visitors and, in some cases, staff, as well as trafficking by drones!, denounces the Euda. In this over-tolerated market, “powerful substances, such as synthetic cannabinoids, opioids and various drugs, can be favored, as they are easier to conceal”.
Drugs: A Billion Euro Market
Based on 2021 data, it is estimated that the drug market in the EU have a minimum retail value of at least 31 billion euros. The EU is home to industrial-scale production of cannabis and synthetic drugs, such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and cathinones (compounds related to the alkaloid). Large-scale cocaine processing also now takes place within the European Union.
