Cannabis is still the most "commonly used" drug in Europe (one quarter of the adult population has used it at least once in their lifetime), followed by "stimulants" such as amphetamines, ecstasy and cocaine. This is shown by the "2008 Yearly Report: evolution of the drugs phenomenon", presented in Brussels by the European Drugs Agency (Oedt). The long report which depicts the situation of drug use in the EU countries and in Norway shows the "risk categories" (first and foremost, the young) and the related problems. Then, it highlights that "about 12 million Europeans, aged 15 to 64, have used cocaine at least once in their lifetime, versus about 11 million for amphetamines and 9.5 million for ecstasy". Wolfgang Götz, director of the EU Agency, explained: "Even if the latest European data show that the use of amphetamines and ecstasy has stabilised to a certain degree, or is actually decreasing, the use of cocaine is instead constantly rising, even if in a small number of countries". According to Oedt, two million young people aged 15 to 34 have tried amphetamines this last year and about 2.5 million of them have tried ecstasy: the use of amphetamines is estimated to be stable if not actually slightly decreasing. (continued)
