Last year, 4.1 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds reported having used cocaine, compared to 1.2 percent in 2015. This is according to the latest Drug Affinity Study by the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG). Young men are particularly affected: 5.7 percent of them used cocaine, compared to 2.4 percent of women.
Hendrik Streeck, the German drug commissioner, called the increase alarming. “Many still see cocaine as a party or performance drug,” the CDU politician is quoted as saying in an institute press release. “That is a dangerous misconception. From a medical perspective, it is clear: cocaine can quickly lead to addiction and cause severe damage to the heart, brain, and psyche.”
The representative survey interviewed 7,001 people aged 12 to 25 between April and July 2025. According to the study, 18.7 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds have already tried an illegal drug, with nitrous oxide, ecstasy, cocaine, and amphetamines being the most common. Among 12- to 17-year-olds, consumption remained low: only 2.5 percent had ever tried an illegal drug.
Source: www.spiegel.de
