Dublin ranks 15th in Europe for ketamine levels

Dublin ranks among the top 20 cities in Europe for levels of certain illegal drugs found in wastewater. This finding comes from a study conducted by the EU drugs agency. The study involved a large-scale project that analyzed sewage samples from 128 cities across 26 countries over a week. It focused on the presence of drugs like cocaine, ketamine, and MDMA, among others. According to the results, Dublin was 15th for ketamine and 19th for cocaine and MDMA. The study showed a rise in drug levels in Europe last year compared to 2023. Notably, cocaine levels in Dublin increased over the weekend, reaching a peak on Monday. The analysis tested samples from approximately 68.8 million people, looking for five stimulant drugs and cannabis. While there were overall increases in MDMA, cocaine, and amphetamine across Europe, patterns for methamphetamine and ketamine varied. The highest cannabis levels were detected in cities in western and southern Europe, such as Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal.