site.btaEU Drugs Agency Reports More Than 100 Fentanyl-Related Deaths in Bulgaria in One Year

More than 100 deaths linked to the use of the synthetic drug fentanyl were recorded in Bulgaria between 2024 and 2025, according to the annual report of the European Union Drugs Agency, presented in Brussels on Tuesday.

The report warns that people who use drugs in Europe are facing new health threats. It notes that a previously unknown drug is detected in the EU every week and that the total number of monitored psychoactive substances now exceeds 1,050, including highly potent synthetic opioids. The agency also warns that drug distribution could expand through the sale of electronic cigarettes.

According to the latest data, at least 7,600 overdose deaths were recorded across the EU over the past year. Opioid use remains the leading cause, with many victims having also taken medicines containing opiate derivatives or painkillers. The report recommends improving access to naloxone, an antidote used in opioid overdoses, for home use.

The European heroin market remains resilient and has not been significantly affected by the ban imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2022 on opium poppy cultivation, the report says. Pakistan has emerged as a source of opium and heroin, with poppy cultivation exceeding 9,000 hectares in 2025, a level comparable to production in Afghanistan. In Myanmar, poppy cultivation reached its highest level in the past decade last year, exceeding 45,000 hectares.

Cocaine use in Europe remains high, affecting an estimated 4.3 million Europeans aged 15-64, while the number of people entering treatment for cocaine-related problems continues to rise. Cocaine was the second most common drug among first-time entrants to specialized drug treatment programmes in 2024, marking a 39% increase compared with 2018. Data show that cocaine was involved in one in three overdose deaths.

The volume of cocaine seized in Europe fell to 330 tonnes in 2024, compared with 419 tonnes in 2023, suggesting that traffickers are shifting to smaller shipments to reduce the risk of detection.

Ketamine use remains relatively limited, although the number of people entering treatment for ketamine-related problems has quadrupled in recent years. The report also notes imports of cannabis from the United States and Canada, where overproduction has been reported. An estimated 24.9 million Europeans aged 15-64 used cannabis in the past year.

The report notes that the Czechia, Germany, Luxembourg and Malta allow limited home cultivation of cannabis, while in the Netherlands the drug is sold in specialized coffee shops.