Between 2018 and 2023, the number of patients starting treatment for cocaine-related problems in the EU rose by 31%.

Omissions

• The EUDA figure refers specifically to clients entering treatment for cocaine-related problems 'for the first time' (first-time entrants), a detail the MEP did not state but which does not alter the magnitude.
• The EUDA source was published in June 2025, before the 2026-07-08 session date, so the MEP could have known it.
• The same EUDA report notes a time lag in treatment data; the 31% increase covers 2018–2023, matching the claim's stated period exactly.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) – European Drug Report 2025, Cocaine: the current situation in EuropeThe number of clients entering treatment for cocaine-related problems for the first time increased by 31 % between 2018 and 2023.
• PrimaryEuropean Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) – European Drug Report 2025: Trends and Developments (full PDF)The number of clients entering treatment for cocaine-related problems for the first time increased by 31 % between 2018 and 2023, while the number of first-time entrants ...
• SecondaryAra (Catalan news outlet citing EUDA report)Across Europe, it is estimated that there were 35,000 people starting cocaine addiction treatment in 2023, the majority of them men. Since 2018, these treatment starts have increased by 31%.