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Drugs in France - statistics & facts

The first supervised injection site in France opened in 2016: a hospital space where drug addicts can access clean equipment and syringes to manage their addictions. This was a small revolution in the French government’s approach to drug use. For several years, successive governments have been progressively abandoning the "zero tolerance" policy, the effectiveness of which is being questioned. For example, cannabis consumption is still strictly forbidden in France, but the French were still the second biggest smokers in Europe in 2020.

Men more affected by drug use in France

Drug use is a phenomenon that especially affects men, who are more likely to experiment with all types of drugs. 13 percent of French men stated they consumed cannabis regularly, compared to nine percent of women in 2022, and this gap also applies to "hard" drugs. Contrary to popular belief, the youngest people are not the ones who consume the most cannabis, alcohol and tobacco, but the 20-30 year olds. On the other hand, the most frequent users of products such as heroin, cocaine or ecstasy are 20-24 year olds.

Drug use on the rise

Even while the French population was experiencing confinement due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, cannabis consumption has not decreased. On the contrary, only 16 percent stated to have taken advantage of the months spent at home to reduce their consumption, while 27 percent consumed more. An alarming constant that is caused not only by the psychological upheavals of a long-term confinement, drug consumption in France has been increasing for many years. The share of people using cocaine and new synthetic products like MDMA has also increased over the last twenty years.

The fight against drugs in France

Still prohibited and penalized in France, the hunt for drug users rages on. While the majority of the French was in favor of depenalizing cannabis use, the Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, wants to once more apply a "zero tolerance" policy towards consumers. In March 2022, the number of fines related to drug use reached its highest level since 2015. In terms of seizures, in 2020, French law enforcement agencies confiscated nearly 212,000 kilograms of cannabis and 18.62 tons of cocaine in 2021.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 11, 2024

Key insights

European country with the highest rate of cannabis users
France
Volume of narcotic drugs seized in France
115.4 t
Monthly number of crimes and offenses related to drug resale in France
3,114
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Share of drug use in the European Union in 2023, by type of drug

State of Health

Drug use in the European Union 2023, by type of drug

Monthly number of crimes and offenses related to drug use recorded by the police and gendarmerie in France from January 2015 to August 2022

Drug Crime

Monthly number of drug usage-related crimes recorded in France 2015-2022

Total volume of narcotic drugs seized in France from 2010 to 2021 (in tons)

Crime & Law Enforcement

Volume of illicit substances seized in France 2010-2021

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