Conflict in Ukraine Could Aggravate Drug Problems

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could create “new vulnerabilities” in Europe to illegal drugs by triggering shifts in smuggling routes and potentially exposing more people to narcotics, the Lisbon-based European Union drugs agency has warned.

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, EMCDDA, said in its annual report that many people who have suffered “severe psychological stress” during the conflict may be more vulnerable to substance misuse problems in the future.

“Drug traffickers might switch to alternative routes to avoid areas with a heightened security presence,” it said, while health services in European countries, especially those bordering Ukraine, are likely to become more ‘strained’ as drug users fleeing the conflict require support.

“Continuity of treatment, language services and the provision of accommodation and social welfare support are likely to be key requirements,” it said, adding that even those who were not drug users were at risk.

Aljazeera /Shakirat Sadiq