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More addicts seeking to score drugs online, says EU report

Previously, this blog has mentioned the role that overly lenient pharmacists and even opportunistic students may play in supplying prescription pills and other illicit substances to the general public. Now, a new report has revealed that a growing number of drug deals are being conducted online, making it all the more difficult for authorities around the world to monitor these transactions.

According to Reuters, the investigation was a joint effort between the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDAA) and the international police agency Europol.

“The consumers may feel that it is ‘cleaner’ to buy drugs without any direct contact with the drug dealer,” said Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, in an effort to provide a behavioral motivation behind the trend.

So where exactly are these transactions taking place? Though a few arrests have been made in recent years after users discussed their habits on public forums such as Facebook, the report states that most of these deals allegedly occur on “darknets,” which Reuters describes as “anonymous computer networks.”

Back in October, ABC News reported that drug dealers had begun using Craigslist, an online classifieds, to orchestrate these exchanges. However, users still had to physically meet with the supplier to obtain the goods. This new report indicates that some users are taking the concept of an online marketplace a step further by having illicit substances delivered directly to their homes.

When addiction takes hold, a user may go to any means necessary to get their next fix, potentially putting themselves and others at risk in the process. If someone you love has reached this point, a substance abuse intervention may be able to help. Contact a professional interventionist now to discuss the process.

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