The latest edition revealed that four overdoses in 2018 were fatal, demonstrating a steady decline in the number of drug-related fatalities.
In 2000, there were 26 victims of fatal overdoses. The 2019 edition of the report estimates that around 2,250 people in Luxembourg can be considered high-risk users of illicit drugs.
With that figure, the report calculated that in 2019, the rate of high-risk drugs use lay at 5.8 per 1,000 inhabitants. This shows a marked drop in recent years, as in 2000, the rate lay at 9 users per 1,000 inhabitants.
In terms of high-risk drugs users (HRDUs), the average age has been 30 over the past 15 years, although data from 2017 reveals an average age of 28, suggesting a decrease in the average age.
The majority of high-risk drugs users are male, while the proportion of women using high-risk drugs has dropped over the past ten years.
The report also reveals that a majority of HRDUs have a stable residence (65.4%) but a significant proportion (19.6%) are in homeless situations. Whilst they may have stable homes, the majority of HRDUs tend not to be professionally active.
The report also notes a tendency towards safer administration methods of opioids, with more users in safe drug consumption rooms opting for inhalation rather than injections.
Whilst there was an increase in HIV infections between 2014 and 2016 due to the availability and increased use of cocaine injections (21 infections in 2016), this figure has markedly dropped over the past two years, with only four cases being reported in 2018.
Opioids, heroin in particular, remain the drug of choice of a majority of HRDUs. Broadly, cocaine remains the most commonly used hard drug among the general population, with 2.5% admitting to have used it at least once in their lifetime.
The most commonly used drug nationally remains cannabis, used at least once a year by 4.9% of the population and having been used at least once in their lifetime by 23.3% of the population.
Finally, amphetamines (ATS) and ecstasy/MDMA use remains prevalent, especially among young adults between the ages of 15 and 34.
Nevertheless, illicit drug use among the general population in Luxembourg is below the EU average for all substances, as well as below averages in Luxembourg's neighbouring countries.
