EU: Youth involvement in synthetic opioids smuggling rises
Key takeaways
- Europe's illicit drug market is rapidly evolving, according to a new report, with cartels increasingly employing young people to traffic dangerous synthetic opioids.
- Drawing on data from the EU's 27 member states plus Norway and Turkey, the Lisbon-based EUDA found that at least 50 new psychoactive substances were identified in Europe in 2025.
- In particular, the report highlighted the growing risk posed by nitazenes, substances found in common street drugs such as cocaine, heroin and ketamine.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Europe's illicit drug market is rapidly evolving, according to a new report, with cartels increasingly employing young people to traffic dangerous synthetic opioids.
https://p.dw.com/p/5F5nh Drug cartels are diversifying their smuggling methods to transport illegal substances to Europe Image: Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP/Getty Images Advertisement Highly potent synthetic opioids are emerging as a growing concern in Europe's illegal drug market, according to a new report from the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), and young people are increasingly involved in their transportation and distribution.
Drawing on data from the EU's 27 member states plus Norway and Turkey, the Lisbon-based EUDA found that at least 50 new psychoactive substances were identified in Europe in 2025.