The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) collected the data, and Hendrik Streeck (CDU) presented it on Tuesday in Berlin. In total, 2,150 people died from drug use in Germany in 2025 – the level remains at a record high. The increase among the youngest is particularly alarming: among those under 20, the number of deaths nearly doubled, to 106.
Young users often obtain their drugs online and consume them alone or in small groups at home – unlike the older scene on open streets. The cause of death is often psychoactive drugs such as benzodiazepines or opioid painkillers, but also counterfeit substances. Streeck warned about pills that look like familiar medications but are laced with highly potent synthetic opioids: “Even the smallest amounts can be fatal.”
The drug market is becoming more opaque: the number of deaths from the synthetic opioid fentanyl rose by a fifth to 118. Deaths after cocaine or crack use have more than doubled since 2021. More than four out of five drug deaths occurred after the simultaneous use of multiple substances. Streeck is calling for faster help for young people – more detox and therapy places, as well as offers before risk turns into death. Associations such as the Society for Addiction Medicine and the welfare association are also demanding an expansion of early warning systems, drug checking, and drug consumption rooms.
Source: www.spiegel.de
