the cocaine market explodes in France

For years, cocaine was mostly used by partygoers in showbiz and privileged circles. Today, it is the most widely used drug in France after cannabis. The market is exploding and exports from Latin America are flooding the ports, such as in Lorient (Morbihan) where 180 kilos were seized on February 15. In 2021, the authorities seized 26.5 tons of cocaine, according to an interministerial mission to fight against drugs. This figure has doubled in one year.

A drug that has become affordable

Cocaine has become affordable, between 50 and 70 euros per gram. “To hold on in my business. Given that the restaurant business is very difficult, it’s true that I started to consume it, not just to party”, confides a consumer. On road checks, saliva tests to detect drugs, and in particular cocaine, are almost systematic. On Sunday February 19, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin announced that he wanted to severely punish drivers who test positive for narcotics. Today, a consumer in possession of drugs is liable to one year in prison and a fine of 3,750 euros.