Inventory of Drug Use in Grand-Est

According to the latest national report published by the French Observatory on Drugs and Drug Addiction on January 31, 2024, drug use is not decreasing. Grand Est is not left out. We went to meet experts and professionals who are fighting drugs in the region.

Drug use continues. A new study of the National Identification System for Toxics and Substances (SINTES) in France published by the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) draws a corrective report. Nationally, the concentration of cocaine collected is high, with purity rates of 70% to 100%. What about drug use in Grand-Est? Cocaine, heroin or even fentanyl, we went to prevention players to answer the question. If With cannabis still at the top of consumption, they are wary of their population’s use of cocaine, which is on the rise.

Consumption in “sniff”By injection or “smoke”, cocaine use has become increasingly common in Lorraine in recent years. One point that attracts the attention of experts is the dose of psychotropic medication. Lionel Dyney, director of the Les Wades Centre, Mosel Association specializing in addiction treatment and regional representative of the Addiction Federation, is concerned: “In 2023, the reality is that when we analyze the samples collected from people that we monitor with the check-labs laboratory, we realize that the purity rate of cocaine is high, it is about 78%”.

While the center confirms that it does not see a real trend in patterns of use, social workers at the CAARUD L’Exchange center in Nancy believe there has been an increase in “dependent” cocaine use. And so smoking, on the population they follow. A practice that requires the addition of a base, often ammonia, and which reaches the brain more quickly, causing greater euphoria but also greater dependence with serious health consequences.

Two years ago, the gram was around 80 euros, today we are around 50 euros

Emilie Coulin, head of CAARUD L’Echange

Emilie Caulin, head of CAARUD l’Échange, explains this widespread distribution by the drop in the price of cocaine: “Two years ago, the gram was around 80 euros, today we are around 50 euros”. A practice that is therefore becoming more popular among the already fragile. “With the reduction in price, the substance is within everyone’s reach,” adds the manager. But there are also concerns about other drugs.

It is largely responsible for the health crisis in the United States. There, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that every day, more than 150 Americans die from an overdose of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl.

Fear of the French government has already affected Lorraine. “I’ve already seen fentanyl, it was a small catch with small users”, a custom source slip. A statement shared by Lionel Dyney, but the man wants to offer reassurance: “We may have seen them but they are very occasional and very rare. Moreover, it is not new and we can clearly see that there is no explosion in the usage of this product..

Her colleague, Fabienne Baillie, head of the Wades Center’s Early Intervention Area and coordinator of the “Recent Trends and New Medicines” system launched by the OFDT, adds: “We’re not in America, the French health system better protects us from the opioid crisis”.

This opioid analgesic, 100 times more powerful than morphine, nevertheless attracts the attention of authorities. To avoid an epidemic in France, the government passed an amendment on June 23 to authorize customs to seize all chemical substances used in the production of synthetic drugs. Faced with a threat, Lionel Diony does not give in to panic: “I’m not sure we’ll see a similar crisis in the United States”, he whispers. It assures him that fentanyl remains marginal in the region.

The drug, a media star for many years, is no longer the center of attention. However, heroin use does not go down in Lorraine. “In 2023, we will be about 25% heroin users out of the roughly 2,000 people we support.”

“Les Vades” explains the director of the center.

Man especially questions the lack of visibility of this opioid: “There’s a shift going on, the use remains constant, but we don’t talk about it anymore,” he laments. Fabien Baillie intervenes: “I think it’s probably under-emphasized because there are more possibilities for treatment. Additionally, heroin is highly regarded among users..

In the East, you will always find it more easily than elsewhere

Lionel Dini, director of the “Les Wades” center

This time, Lionel Dini appears more defeatist. For that, there is no doubt that this drug will always be used more in the region than elsewhere: “In the East, you will always find it more easily than elsewhere. It is connected to the North-South axis where drugs move in relation to the countries of the North. The traffic goes through the Netherlands and Belgium, then crosses the Lorraine to Marseille..

He also wants to draw attention to another point: the purity of the heroine. Unlike cocaine, it is increasingly cut: “It is no longer a quality product. In 2023, after laboratory analysis, we noted that the purity rate of heroin is 14%. Only 1% of heroin is pure.. According to Infodrug, the National Addiction Coordination Centre, the drug is mainly cut with a combination of caffeine, paracetamol and substances such as powdered milk, flour or ascorbic acid. Many products were analyzed to try to warn users as much as possible.

“We really need to develop this type of study”, insists Lionel Dye. A demand that resonates even more as drug use in France continues to decline. The SINTES system has recorded an 18% increase in drug collection in 2022 compared to the previous year.