Recreational drug poisonings reported to six European poison centres from 2021 to 2024
Clinical Toxicology March 4, 2026 L. Hondebrink, Katrin Faber, Aza Kader et al. 1 citation
Recreational drug poisonings reported to six European poison centres increased significantly between 2021 and 2024, although they represented only about 3% of all calls. The total number of cases rose from 5,619 in 2021 to 7,229 in 2024, with the largest increases observed in Austria, Freiburg (Germany), and the United Kingdom. The most frequently implicated drugs were delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cocaine, amfetamine, and MDMA. Rising rates were seen for THC in Austria and Freiburg; cocaine in Freiburg and the UK; amfetamine in Freiburg and Sweden; and ketamine in Austria, Freiburg, and the UK. In 2024, amfetamine poisonings peaked in Freiburg (0.63%) and Sweden (0.94%), cocaine in Freiburg (0.78%) and the UK (0.74%), and ketamine in the Netherlands (0.42%) and the UK (0.24%). Coordinated European monitoring could support timely public health interventions.