Spain has been branded the most addicted country in Europe

Spain has been branded the most addicted country in Europe, with 3.1 percent of its population aged between 15 and 65 believed to be cocaine users.


According to data released by the United Nations, three out of every 100 Spaniards is a cocaine addict, a Press TV correspondent reported on Sunday.

According to the 2010 annual report from the International Narcotics Control Board, 19 percent of all European cocaine addicts live in Spain.

Shortly after the UN released its data, Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba in a press conference responded by saying, “The United Nations in its report referred to data which are from the years 2007, 2008, and last year. Spain has already presented a comprehensive study with 30,000 people that demonstrated that how, in a year, cocaine consumption has decreased from 3.1 to 2.6 percent.”

The government went on to say that it will continue to work on their Action Plan Against Cocaine, focusing on educating youth regarding the dangers of this substance in order to reduce the rate.

“In my 30-year career, I have seen the situation worsen in the past decade. I have seen addiction become a true problem in our society, and so many families have been touched by it one way or another. I'm not too optimistic that things will improve in the near future,” Matilde Hernandez, a hospital doctor, told Press TV.

Part of the reason for the dramatic increase is that Spain is the primary transit point for the cocaine smuggled into the Europe from Latin America. In cargo ships and on airplanes, hidden in machine parts, or bananas, tons of cocaine arrive at Spanish ports every month.

Analysts believe Spain's high cocaine addiction rate is a reflection of the failure of the anti-drug policy of the government. DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.