Press Release: 26 June 2009 – International Drugs Day – launch of the European Action on Drugs

Did you know that around 12 million people in the EU take, or have at some time taken cocaine? Did you know that on average one EU citizen dies every hour of an overdose? Did you know that they are 7,000 to 8,000 drug-induced deaths in Europe every year? Faced with this serious drug problem the European Commission launched a new awareness and information initiative on 26 June, 2009, the EUROPEAN ACTION ON DRUGS (EAD), with its primary goal to mobilize society and raise awareness about drugs within the European Union.