Expert warns of dangers Cocaine boom in Switzerland - and nobody can stop it
The cocaine boom in Europe is not stopping in Switzerland either: consumption is on the rise, exposure in public spaces is growing - as is the pressure on authorities and addiction help.
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- According to estimates, around 5000 kilograms of cocaine are consumed in Switzerland every year.
- Cocaine consumption is steadily increasing, in line with trends across Europe.
- Smaller towns are increasingly reporting problems, particularly among socially disadvantaged groups.
- The purity of the cocaine consumed is increasing.
- Switzerland continues to rely on the proven four-pillar model (prevention, therapy, harm reduction, repression) in its drug policy.
The consumption of cocaine is increasing rapidly throughout Europe. A development that is also clearly noticeable in Switzerland.
Céline Raymond, spokesperson for the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), explains to blue News: "Population surveys, addiction aid statistics and wastewater monitoring show a clear increase in cocaine consumption. This is in line with the European trend."
According to an estimate from 2018, annual cocaine consumption in Switzerland is around five tons. This makes cocaine the second most consumed drug in the country after cannabis. In view of the rising consumption trends since then, the actual quantity is likely to be even higher today.
Data from 2022 shows that 6.2% of 15 to 64-year-olds in Switzerland have used cocaine at least once in their lives.
Consumption is particularly high in the 25-34 age group, 2.4% of whom have used cocaine in the last year. There is a clear gender gap here: Men use about twice as often as women.
Degree of purity as a risk for overdose
A notable trend also concerns the purity of cocaine. "Cocaine with fewer admixtures generally means less damage to health from extenders," says Céline Raymond.
"However, a fluctuation in the degree of purity can also be a risk for overdoses." This poses new challenges for Swiss addiction support.
The trend is striking in smaller Swiss cities, where the increasing use of cocaine by socially disadvantaged groups is increasingly perceived as a burden in public spaces.
Increase in addiction treatment
Particularly worrying: according to the FOPH's addiction treatment statistics, crack cocaine use in Switzerland increased significantly between 2013 and 2021.
This is because crack is considered a particularly risky form of cocaine: it is smoked and thus reaches the brain more quickly, which leads to a more intense but short-term effect - and significantly increases the potential for addiction.
The number of requests for addiction treatment in connection with crack cocaine rose by 281 percent during the period in question, while requests for cocaine hydrochloride (cocaine in powder form) increased by 79 percent.
Swiss drug policy continues to pursue the successful four-pillar strategy consisting of prevention, therapy, harm reduction and repression. Raymond emphasizes: "The cantons design the psychosocial services individually. It is adapted to new and local circumstances. Low-threshold services such as consumption rooms, outreach social work, care and medicine as well as emergency shelters remain central."
In addition, the FOPH is currently strengthening the approach of early detection and early intervention (E+I) in order to curb consumption at an early stage. A model for the regulated distribution of cocaine similar to heroin distribution is not currently being examined in concrete terms, but according to Raymond, "new approaches are being discussed among experts."