A new Europe-wide study based on wastewater analysis – sewage runoff – has found a rise in cocaine and ketamine residues across 115 cities in 25 countries on the continent.
In terms of Greece, the Attica prefecture – the greater Athens-Piraeus agglomeration – recorded a significant increase in cocaine consumption, in some cases reaching up to three times higher than in 2023. Its main metabolite, benzoylecgonine, also remains at elevated levels, confirming sustained and growing use in recent years.
Meanwhile, consumption of synthetic “ecstasy” (MDMA) also rose during the 2024–2025 period, with peaks recorded on weekends—highlighting a strong link to nightlife and recreational activity.
Ketamine Detected in Greece for first time
Meanwhile, a specialized laboratory at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 2025 detected, for the first time, ketamine residues in wastewater in Greece. The specific drug is known as “Special K” in North America.
Although concentrations remain relatively low, experts consider the finding a significant indicator of emerging drug-use trends. Ketamine is a substance with hallucinogenic effects, widely used medically as an anesthetic.
Europe-Wide Trend on the Rise
According to the European Union Drugs Agency, levels of both cocaine and ketamine residues increased across European cities in 2025 compared to 2024.
In referring to the study, Alexis Goosdeel, the former director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), described the situation as a “widespread, diverse and evolving drug-use phenomenon.”