BARCELONA, LIFE WITH WHITE DUST

A study by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction has analyzed the wastewater generated by 120 European cities over ten years, with the aim of measuring the consumption of banned substances. By analyzing the waste that arrives at wastewater treatment plants, it’s possible to detect cocaine metabolites excreted in the urine. In this way, researchers can determine with a high degree of certainty how much of the drug is being consumed in a given population.

Using this methodology, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction concludes that Barcelona is the city with the highest cocaine consumption on the continent. Every year, around 700 kg of cocaine, the equivalent of 14 million doses, are taken in the Catalan capital. According to the study, one in ten Barcelona residents aged between 15 and 64 has taken cocaine at least once in their lives.

The climate, low prices, and a perpetual variation of leisure activities make Barcelona a very attractive destination for tourism, linked to drug consumption. The specialists interviewed by the program agree that mass tourism is, in all likelihood, one of the factors that has led to an increase in drug consumption figures in the Catalan capital. Business and commercial activities may also have an impact on the results of the analyses, with an undisputed connection to international trade fairs and congresses. Experts believe that leisure linked to business tourism has a significant impact on the annual consumption of illegal drugs, especially cocaine.

The BAS team was able to interview the head of an important international drug trafficking organization operating from Barcelona. According to the drug trafficker’s testimony, every year thousands of kilos of cocaine arrive in Europe from Colombia via Barcelona. All the specialists consulted by the program agree that Mediterranean ports are the main entry route for cocaine into the continent. In port cities such as Barcelona, easy access to drugs favors consumption and increases demand. After Barcelona, the Spanish cities with the highest levels of cocaine use are Palma and Valencia.

Despite the fact that the abuse of illegal substances represents a major emotional impact as well as an impact on our health, statistics reveal that many young people see the use of alcohol or drugs as normal, and do not perceive the risks associated with it, with the consumption of cocaine among 16-20-year-olds increasing in recent years. The figures linked to youth consumption are particularly relevant, especially nightlife at weekends, despite institutional control and prevention measures. New patterns of consumption are forcing professionals in the social, health, and educational sectors to undertake new methods in an attempt to curb this phenomenon.

In Barcelona, it is estimated that seven out of every ten drug addicts suffer from a type of mental illness. The increase in cocaine consumption has led to an increase in the number of patients with disorders associated with this dependency. Five million people worldwide suffer from mental illnesses related to drug use. The combination of addiction and mental disorders is known among specialists as dual pathology, it’s a reality that hasn’t been studied in-depth and which disrupts both the lives of those who suffer from it as well as their emotional environment.

The report reveals a shocking reality: cocaine consumption also has a negative impact on the people who live in Barcelona and who don’t take the substance. Traffic accidents, fiscal and economic irregularities, and social conflict are just a few examples of how the trafficking and consumption of illegal drugs affect society as a whole. According to research carried out by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, cities in the south and east of Europe are where these problems manifest themselves, due to the customary consumption of cocaine.

Barcelona pioneers in the detection and treatment of addictive substance use. In the Catalan capital, the Drug Dependency Care and Monitoring Centres make efforts to reduce and prevent cocaine use, especially among the city’s most marginalized and vulnerable social groups. This documentary has also followed one of these support groups, following their movements as patients recover their self-esteem and acquire resources to cope with addiction. The testimony of recovering addicts is key to the success of these therapies. In the last three years alone, the number of people in Barcelona who have sought help to overcome cocaine dependence has increased by 16%. Eight out of ten patients receiving treatment are men who started using regularly in their twenties.