Foreign Affairs

Report: Barcelona Is Europe’s Cocaine Capital

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Barcelona is Europe’s cocaine capital, according to a European Union study released Wednesday.

The Spanish city, which is known for its beautiful architecture, weather, and art, also has the highest percentage of cocaine users in Europe, reported the Daily Mail. In a study called “Wastewater analysis and drugs: a European multi-city study,” the famed city  goes through approximately 965.2mg of cocaine for every 1,000 people, according to the analysis of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

Researchers analyzed the wastewater from 60 different cities to study illicit drug use. Scientists examined the level of drugs found in urine. In order to study the amount of cocaine used in different European cities, researchers tested a common metabolite for cocaine called benzoylecgonine.

One of the explanations for the high cocaine consumption is due to Barcelona being an entry point for drugs smuggled from Latin America, reported talkingdrugs.com. Police found 5.88 tonnes of cocaine being smuggled into Spain from Colombia on Nov. 28 worth approximately $249 billion. This was the second largest drug bust for Spanish authorities, reported The Local. Police uncovered another large drug bust in January after finding cocaine smuggled inside pineapples, added news24.com.

The study also found that Zurich, Antwerp, Geneva, and Amsterdam were also among the top cocaine consumers.

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