Heroin use frequency in the European Union 2022

In 2022, almost 60 percent of heroin users who entered treatment in Europe were using the drug daily, with a further seven percent consuming between four and six days in a week. Heroin is an opiate and is often used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects but is considered one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. 

Many Europeans in treatment for Heroin use

In 2020, there were over 570 thousand people in opioid substitution treatment in Europe. The highest number of patients were in France and Germany with 177 and 81 thousand patients respectively. Heroin addiction is by far the most common reason that patients enter opioid addiction treatment in Europe, with almost 85 percent of patients in treatment in 2020 due to heroin use.

Drug deaths in Europe 

In 2020, 45 percent of those who died as a result of drug use in Europe were aged between 40 and 64 years, while 39 percent of drug deaths were among 25 to 39-year-olds. Norway was the country in Europe with the highest incidence of drug deaths in 2020 at 85 per million population.