Injecting Drug Use Declining in Europe: Monitoring Body

IV drug use is declining across most of Europe, says a recent report from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction. "Injecting drug use is declining in many countries, as are rates of new HIV infections among drug users," said Wolfgang Gotz, the group's chief. The report estimates there are 750,000 to 1 million IV drug users in the European Union. "In the EU member states, the rates of newly diagnosed cases of HIV infection among injecting drug users are mostly at stable or low levels, or in decline," according to the report. There were two exceptions, however: Bulgaria and Slovakia showed statistically significant increases in drug injecting. The broad downward trend could be "linked to sound investments made in effective prevention, treatment, and harm-reduction measures which now reach many more of those in need," Gotz said.

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