BRUSSELS, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The overdosing death has risen for the third consecutive year in Europe, according to an annual drug report released on Tuesday by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
The report -- European Drug Report 2017: Trends and Developments -- showed that a total of 8,441 overdose deaths, mainly related to heroin and other opioids, were estimated to have occurred in European Union's (EU) 28 member states, Turkey and Norway in 2015.
This amounts to a 6-percent increase on the estimated 7,950 deaths in these 30 countries in 2014.
According to the reports, almost all age groups witnessed increases in this regard and Europe's 1.3 million problem opioid users are among the most vulnerable.
Intervention methods to prevent overdoses in Europe include supervised drug consumption rooms (DCRs) and the provision of "take-home" naloxone (opioid overdose-reversal drug) to opioid users, their peers and families.
DCRs now operate in six EU countries and Norway. Take-home naloxone programs now exist in nine EU countries and Norway, according to the report.
Besides, the report also explored signs of rising cocaine availability, developments in cannabis policies, and substance use among school students.
