Norway is among the European countries with the highest number of overdose deaths according to the EU’s report on drug use in 2014.
The figures show that only Estonia has more overdose deaths than Norway in Europe.
Talking to Aftenposten, researcher Anne Line Bretteville-Jensen believes that the comparison with other countries should be taken with a grain of salt, because different countries have different way to report on. For example Greece has no overdose deaths, according to Greek authorities.
Bretteville-Jensen notes, however, that there is reason to believe that Norway is still the Nordic country with the highest number of overdose deaths per capita.
Anne Line Bretteville-Jensen thinks there are several reasons why Norway tops in overdose deaths.
– There are still many drug addicts in Norway who inject heroin. In other countries, several started to smoke heroin rather than injecting, for example, there are now only 8 percent of heroin users in the Netherlands who inject the drug, says she to Aftenposten.
European Drug Report was prepared by European information network on drugs and drug addiction. The network is comprised of national focal points in the EU Member States, the candidate country Turkey, Norway and at the European Commission.
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