VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – More than 60% of first-time drug treatment entrants in Malta sought help for cocaine use, according to the European Drug Report 2025. The report, published by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), found cocaine accounted for 42.5% of all treatment entrants, narrowly ahead of opioids at 41.8%, while amphetamines represented just 0.2%. Cannabis remained the most seized drug in Malta, with authorities confiscating 4,315.7kg, followed by 2,249kg of cocaine and 1kg of heroin.
The report recorded 13 drug-induced deaths in Malta in 2024, all involving men, with 11 victims aged between 15 and 64. Cocaine featured in the majority of overdose deaths. High-risk opioid use was estimated at between 3.3 and 4.9 cases per 1,000 people aged 15 to 64 in 2023. A total of 826 people received opioid agonist treatment, while 45.6% of opioid treatment entrants reported injecting drugs. No HIV cases linked to injecting drug use were recorded. Cannabis accounted for 24% of first-time treatment entrants and was the main drug for 309 treatment cases, including 119 first-time entrants. Adult lifetime cannabis use stood at 5.9%, rising to 11% among students aged 15 and 16. MDMA remained marginal, accounting for eight treatment entrants, or 0.4% of all cases.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
