Cocaine use in France has almost doubled. In 2023, 1.1 million people had taken the illegal drug at least once, according to a study published on 15 January.
By comparison, the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) previously estimated the country's annual cocaine consumption at 600,000 users when it published its previous report in 2022.
France currently ranks seventh in Europe in terms of cocaine consumption, AFP reported.
A number of factors are behind the explosive growth in consumption, including record levels of cocaine production worldwide and the drug's changing image.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia - the world's top three producers of cocaine - produced 2,700 tonnes in 2022, up from 1,134 tonnes in 2010.
Another factor in rising use is the "evolution of working conditions", with people using cocaine to cope with intense workloads (in the restaurant industry, for example) or harsh working conditions (in the fishing industry), explained Ivana Obradovic, OFDT deputy director.
Finally, experts point to the "diversification of forms of consumption".
The use of crack - a hard form of cocaine - is spreading, and cocaine is now increasingly perceived as "less dangerous" compared to 20 years ago, Obradovic said.
Cocaine is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system and is produced from the leaves of the coca plant in South America.
Although prices remain almost unchanged - a gram of cocaine costs €66 in 2023 compared to €60 in 2011 - the purity of cocaine is rising - 73% in 2023 compared to 46% in 2011.
Authorities have said drug-related crime is crippling everyday life in France, and Interior Minister Bruno Reto has vowed to step up the fight against drug-related crime.
French authorities seized 23.5 tonnes of cocaine in 2023, compared with 4.1 tonnes in 2010.
In the first 11 months of 2024, authorities seized nearly 47 tonnes of cocaine. | BGNES
