National policy on drugs and drug addiction

Prevalence of drug use in the general population

Where drug use in the general population is concerned, serial surveys provide representative data for the entire population of Luxembourg. The most recent data on drug use among the general population shows that cannabis is the most commonly used controlled drug at national level, followed by substances categorised as stimulants (European Health Interview Survey – EHIS). Compared with the situation in 2014, lifetime, past-year, and past-month cannabis and cocaine use were slightly higher, but not significantly so. Recent cannabis and stimulant use among young adults (15-34 years old) is below the EU average.

Prevalence of High-Risk Drug Use (HRDU)

Data on high-risk drug use (problematic use) in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has been used to conduct a longitudinal analysis of the epidemiological situation.

The number of problematic drug users recorded by national treatment and support structures in 2020 was 3,190, as opposed to 4,768 in 2002. The data included multiple counts, which means that any single individual could have been recorded two or more times, if all of the specialist institutions in Luxembourg are considered. As such, these figures do not represent the actual prevalence – the size – of the HRDU population at national level, which is determined using suitable methodologies.

In Luxembourg, epidemiological surveillance of illicit high-risk drug use is conducted by the Luxembourg Drug and Addiction Information Network (Réseau luxembourgeois d’information sur les stupéfiants et les toxicomanies - RELIS), and notably through the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Luxembourg Focal Point (PFLDT), which was created in 1994, and incorporated into the Luxembourg Health Directorate in 2018. The data provided by RELIS is an important source of information, and is used to produce the Annual Report on the drug phenomenon in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The past few years have seen an increase in the number of users of out-patient treatment services, and a stabilisation in the number of users of in-patient treatment and rehab services, while contacts with 'low-threshold' (front-line) services are generally on the rise (60,000 contacts in 2007 and 146,271 contacts in 2020).

Based on the most recent prevalence studies at national level, the number of individuals in Luxembourg exhibiting this form of drug use is estimated at around 2,162, which corresponds to a prevalence of 5.06 users per 1,000 inhabitants aged 15 to 64 years old. In 2000, the prevalence was 9 users per 1,000 inhabitants which, at the time, was among the highest in the European Union.

The National Strategy and Action Plan on Drugs and Addictions

Formulating a national strategy and action plan on drugs and addictions entailed establishing the conceptual framework, basic principles and general objectives that would serve as the basis for defining the measures to include in a structured national action plan.

The overall objective of the '2020–2024 Government Strategy and Action Plan for illicitly acquired drugs and their corollaries' (Stratégie et du plan d’action gouvernementaux 2020–2024 en matière de drogues d’acquisition illicite et de leurs corollaires) is to contribute to achieving a high level of protection in terms of public health, public safety and social cohesion.

To achieve this objective, the 2020–2024 Action Plan focuses primarily on 2 pillars – reducing demand and reducing supply – and on four transversal themes:

• reducing risks, harm and nuisances,
• research and information,
• international cooperation,
• coordination mechanisms.

Details of the actions that have been prioritised, and those that have been undertaken to date, can be found in the original document – '2020–2024 Government Strategy and Action Plan for illicitly acquired drugs and their corollaries' – and in the external assessment report on the 2015–2029 national action plan.