Dublin has been ranked among the top 20 European cities for the presence of cocaine, ketamine, and MDMA in its wastewater, according to a study conducted by the EU drugs agency.
The research, part of the largest European project monitoring illegal drug use through wastewater, involved analysing sewage samples from 26 countries over one week.
The study revealed a rise in detections of MDMA, cocaine, and amphetamine across Europe last year compared to 2023, while levels of cannabis dropped.
Data collected from Dublin’s Ringsend treatment plant placed the Irish capital 15th for ketamine levels and 19th for daily averages of cocaine and MDMA/ecstasy among the cities analysed.
In Dublin, cocaine levels spiked over the weekend, peaking on Monday.
The study examined samples from approximately 68.8 million people for traces of five stimulant drugs — amphetamine, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA/ecstasy, and ketamine — along with cannabis.
While levels of MDMA, cocaine, and amphetamine rose across Europe, the report highlighted diverging patterns for methamphetamine and ketamine.
The highest levels of cannabis were found in western and southern European cities, particularly in Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal.
