Cocaine is the hydrochloride salt produced from the leaves of the coca plant. Powder cocaine is typically snorted and less frequently injected. Crack is the smokable form of cocaine and is manufactured from cocaine hydrochloride. Cocaine is known for its immediate effects and association with problematic patterns of drug use. On this page you can find links to data, scientific publications and resources available from the EMCDDA on the topic of cocaine and crack cocaine.

lines of cocaine on a mirror alongside a razor blade

Publications

Publications by the EMCDDA on this topic

Map of Europe showing bubbles of different sizes representing data

Wastewater analysis and drugs — a European study

March 2023

The findings of the largest European project to date in the emerging science of wastewater analysis are taken up in this ‘Perspective on drugs’. The project in question analysed wastewater in around 80 European cities and towns to explore the drug-taking habits of those who live in them. The...

Drug-related health and security threats in the Western Balkans

November 2022

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the drug situation in the Western Balkans focused on health and security aspects. It provides a holistic and strategically oriented understanding of the drug situation by bringing together the available information on drug policies and interventions...

European Web Survey on Drugs 2021: Georgia

July 2022

The European Web Survey on Drugs collected data during March to May 2021 from people who use drugs, are aged 18 or older and live in Georgia. In this period, the populations in many European and neighbouring countries were experiencing COVID-19-related lockdown or restrictions. Unless otherwise...

European Web Survey on Drugs 2021: Lebanon

July 2022

The European Web Survey on Drugs collected data during March and May 2021 from people who use drugs, are aged 18 or older, and live in 21 EU and 9 non-EU countries including Lebanon. In this period, the populations in many European and neighbouring countries were experiencing COVID-19-related...

European Web Survey on Drugs 2021: Ukraine

July 2022

The European Web Survey on Drugs collected data during March and May 2021 from people who use drugs, are aged 18 or older, and live in the 21 EU and 9 non-EU countries including Ukraine. In this period, the populations in many European and neighbouring countries were experiencing COVID-19-related...

European Drug Report 2022: Trends and Developments

June 2022

The Trends and Developments report presents the EMCDDA’s latest analysis of the drug situation in Europe. Focusing on illicit drug use, related harms and drug supply, the report contains a comprehensive set of national data across these themes and key harm-reduction interventions.

News

Read our most recent news on this topic

Wastewater samples from over 100 European cities reveal latest drug-taking trends (22.03.2023)
Port of Antwerp welcomes officials following continued rise in cocaine seizures (07.02.2023)
Europe’s changing role in expanding cocaine and methamphetamine markets (06.05.2022)
Coming soon: latest analyses of Europe’s cocaine and methamphetamine markets (29.04.2022)
Latest wastewater data reveal drug-taking habits in 75 European cities in a record 25 countries — increases in detections of most drugs studied (17.03.2022)
European drug market proves resilient to COVID-19 disruption (09.06.2021)

Events

Recent and upcoming entries from our events calendar

Launch event: European Drug Report 2022 (14 Jun 2022)
Launch event: EU Drug Markets analyses (06 May 2022)
Report: An analysis of drugs in used syringes from sentinel European cities: results from the ESCAPE project, 2018 and 2019 (17 Feb 2021)
EU Drug Markets Report 2019 launch (26 Nov 2019, Brussels, Belgium)
CEPOL training 18/2018 Cocaine Smuggling (27 Nov 2018 to 29 Nov 2018, Larnaca)

Data

Statistical Bulletin 2022 — prevalence of drug use (2022)
Statistical Bulletin 2022 — price, purity and potency (2022)
Statistical Bulletin 2022 — treatment demand (2022)
Statistical Bulletin 2022 — seizures of drugs (2022)
Statistical Bulletin 2022 — drug use and prison (2022)
Statistical Bulletin 2021 — price, purity and potency (2021)

Drugs in wastewater: source data (2023)

Document Library

Related external documents or commissioned reports from the EMCDDA Document Library

Consumption of cocaine in Portugal (European Web Survey on Drugs 2021) (2022)
Cocaine treatment demands in 10 western European countries: observed trends between 2011 and 2018 (2020)
COVID-19 and the drug supply chain: from production and trafficking to use (UNODC) (2020)
Authors' reply to comment on "Epidemiology, clinical features and management of patients presenting to European emergency departments with acute cocaine toxicity: comparison between powder cocaine and crack cocaine cases" (2020)
An assessment of the extent of Albanian(-speaking) organised crime groups involved in drug supply in the European Union: Characteristics, role and the level of influence (2019)
Epidemiology, clinical features and management of patients presenting to European emergency departments with acute cocaine toxicity: comparison between powder cocaine and crack cocaine cases (2019)