PROFILES Home
Search

Greece

Country Map
Country Map
Contents
English | Elliniká

Contents

Drug use among the general population and young people
Socio-demographic overview
Prevention
Problem drug use
Treatment demand
Drug-related infectious diseases
Drug-related deaths
Treatment responses
Harm reduction responses
Drug markets and drug-related offences
National drug laws
National drug strategy
Coordination mechanism in the field of drugs

     
Short info
Country situation summary (CSS)
A Country situation summary (CSS) is a concise, standard-format overview (4-5 pages) of the drug situation in a specific European country. Based on a single template for all countries, Country situation summaries provide an at-a-glance overview of key recent developments in a country's drug situation. They are updated each year by the EMCDDA's national focal points. Note that detailed analytical reports (approx 100 pages) are also available for each country, see national Reports.
   
National focal point in Greece

The Greek FP is located within the University of Mental Health Research Institute (UMHRI) and operates as the National Centre of Documentation and Information on Drugs. The FP operates on the basis of a three-year contract within the Ministry of Health and collaborates with O.KA.NA (Greek Organisation Against Drugs), a Governmental Organisation under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. Overall, the FP deals with drug-related issues in the field of epidemiology and prevention and is given a mandate beyond the implementation of EMCDDA related activities. Its responsibilities also include the drafting of the Greek National Report on Drugs, the annual Greek Bibliography on Drugs and alcohol related assignments.

University of Mental Health Research Institute (UMHRI) 
Soranou tou Efesiou, 2
(PO Box 66 517)
GR-15601 Athens
Tel: +30 210 6536 902
Fax: +30 210 6537 273
Head of Focal point: Ms Manina Terzidou
Email: ektepn[a]ektepn.gr

E-mail addresses have been inserted in a way discouraging spam. Please replace [a] by @ before actually using any of the e-mail addresses. 		Further reading
External links
Country situation summary

Greece


 

Year

Greece

EU (25 countries)

Source

Population

 2005 11,082,800 461478700

Eurostat

GDP per capita in PPS

(Purchasing Power Standards) (1)

 2005 82.0 100

Eurostat

Inequality of income distribution (2)

 2005 6.0 4.8 (s)

Eurostat

Unemployment rate

2005 9.8% 8.8%

Eurostat

Prison population rate
(per 100.000 of national population)

 2004 82 Range in the EU including Norway (26 countries) based on data from 2003-2005: 50-339

Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics
(s) Eurostat estimate.
(1) Gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of economic activity. It is defined as the value of all goods and services produced less the value of any goods or services used in their creation. The volume index of GDP per capita in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) is expressed in relation to the European Union (EU25) average set to equal 100. If the index of a country is higher than 100, this country's level of GDP per head is higher than the EU average and vice versa.
(2) The ratio of total income received by the 20 % of the population with the highest income (top quintile) to that received by the 20 % of the population with the lowest income (lowest quintile). Income must be understood as equivalised disposable income.

back to top


Drug use among the general population and young people

The last available data regarding drug use among the general population in Greece are from the household survey conducted by the University Mental Health Research Institute (UMHRI) in 2004. Overall lifetime prevalence of illicit drug use between 1984 and 2004 showed a significant increase, peaking in 1998 and followed by downward trend between 1998 and 2004. The most recent survey (2004) shows that 8.6% of the Greek population aged 12–64 reported lifetime use of illicit drugs, mainly cannabis. As for the student population the latest ESPAD Study was conducted in 2003 involving a nationwide sample of high school students. The results showed that 6% of students aged 15–16 reported lifetime experience with any illicit drug. In the ESPAD study conducted in 1999, lifetime prevalence rate for any illicit drug among the same age group was 10%. In 2003, 6% had ever tried marijuana or hashish (9% in 1999). The second most popular illicit drug in 2003 was ecstasy (2%; the same as in 1999). For both cannabis and ecstasy, lifetime rates are some of the lowest in Europe.

Contrary to illicit drug use, inhalants lifetime use was reported by a much higher percentage by Greek students (15% in 2003 and 14% in 1999) as compared to use reported by most other European countries who participated in the ESPAD study in 2003.

Related links

back to top


Socio-demographic overview


  Year Greece  EU Source

Unemployment rate of population aged less than 25 years

  2005  26.0%

18.6%

Eurostat

Percentage of the population aged 20-24 having completed at least upper secondary education

  2005  84.1%

77.4%

Eurostat

Children aged 0-17 living in jobless households (1)

  2005  4.1%  

9.7% (e)

Eurostat
(p) Estmated value.
(1) The indicator Children aged 0-17 years living in jobless households is calculated as a share of persons aged 0-17 who are living in households where no one is working.

back to top


Prevention


Since 1996, the Greek Organisation Against Drugs (OKANA) has established Prevention Centres in conjunction with local authorities in acknowledgement of the key role that local communities play in prevention. The 69 Prevention Centres that were in operation in early 2006 covered 48 of the 51 prefectures of the country. Along with the Prevention Centres established by OKANA and the local authorities, initiatives are also taken by the Ministry of Education, as well as by other governmental and non-governmental agencies that are also active in drug use prevention.

Major emphasis is placed on prevention interventions in the school setting. Prevention in primary and secondary education encompasses programme-based interventions in the context of the Health Promotion Programmes of the Ministry of Education and interventions designed and delivered by prevention agencies. The development of personal and social skills play an important part in these activities both in primary and secondary education. Knowledge about drugs and changing attitudes towards drugs are also important components of programmes implemented in secondary education. Families are also one of the core target groups of Greek prevention agencies: family prevention includes information events and training programmes (parents’ groups). In addition, prevention interventions are not limited to school premises alone; prevention agencies target preadolescents and adolescents by means of interventions implemented outside the school setting. Finally, prevention professionals target other members of the local community (e.g. volunteers, the Army, Public Security Forces, health professionals etc). Although drug prevention in Greece focuses more on universal interventions, it is clear that efforts are being made to develop and implement selective and indicated interventions reaching groups and individuals at risk.

Related links

back to top


Problem drug use (*)


Only in recent years were the available data sufficient for the estimation of the number of problem drug users in Greece. An estimation based on the capture-recapture method was conducted for the first time in 2001. In 2002, 2003 and 2004 it included three data sources.
 
Analyses that were restricted to problem heroin users (defined as individuals who at some point in time will seek treatment for heroin use) estimated that there were between 2.29 and 3.02 heroin users per 1000 inhabitants between the ages 15–64 years old (in total between 17,115 and 22,550) in 2004.The majority of these lived in Athens. This estimate appears slightly higher than in 2003 (15,419–20,563).

(*) The EMCDDA defines problem drug use as intravenous drug use (IDU) or long duration/regular drug use of opiates, cocaine and/or amphetamines. Ecstasy and cannabis are not included in this category.

Related links

back to top


Treatment demand


Treatment demand data in Greece are collected through a well-established network of treatment providers excluding private practitioners and private hospitals.
 
More than 73% of individuals who sought treatment for drug related problems in Greece in 2004 were treated in drug-free programmes. The remaining individuals were assisted via substitution programmes (approx. 20%) and in low-threshold services (approx. 7%). Since the first data on treatment demand data were collected in 1994, the primary substance of abuse for more than eighty percent of all drug users who sought treatment was heroin or other opiates (88.7% in 2004). According to the most recent data (2004), among those seeking treatment for the first time, the primary substance of abuse was opiates (84.5%), the second most frequent substance was cannabis (10.5%), followed by cocaine/crack (2.7%) and hypnotics/sedatives (1.2%).

The reporting system in Greece for treatment demand data has not been stable over the past years, which limits the analysis of trends which can be made over several years. Analyses including only those service providers that were members of the network between 2001 and 2003 indicate a stabilising trend in the demand for different drugs, but an increase in terms of risk behaviours among male intravenous drug users. While in 2001 among those seeking treatment for the first time, 27.7% of male intravenous drug users shared needles in the last month. In 2003 this proportion rose to 33.1% and in 2004 to 36.5%. 

Related links

back to top


Drug-related infectious diseases


Since 2001, a National Infectious Diseases Network has operated in Greece in order to collect data on infectious diseases among intravenous drug users. The network includes 33 reference points, that is agencies/centres such as treatment centres, low threshold services and public health laboratories/reference centres which provide individual or aggregated data annually to the Greek Focal Point about the results of drug users tested for HBV, HCV and HIV .
 
The most recent available information on prevalence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) among injecting drug users (IDUs) derived from those agencies which provided individual data for the years 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. The data indicate that infection rates among IDU (ever-in-lifetime IDUs) have remained under 5% for the HBV antigen and between 60% and 70% for HCV. Comparing the rates over the four years, the data show that the HBV prevalence among IDUs decreased between 2001 (4.3%) and 2004 (3.4%). The data also show that there is a great variation in the prevalence of HCV infections among different regions in Greece, which may be partly attributed to the distribution of substitution and drug-free centres within and among the regions. (e.g. HCV prevalence rates among methadone clients are significantly higher than among drug-free clients due to their different socio-demographic profile and drug use history). Further investigation is needed in order to reveal all possible reasons for these differences.

Surveillance data on the prevalence and incidence of HIV/AIDS among IDUs in Greece are derived from the Hellenic Centre for Infectious Diseases Control (HCIDC-KEEL) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The ratio of IDUs to the total number of HIV-positive cases registered in Greece up to 30/06/2004 is 3.7% (256 cases out of 6,923). However it should be noted that for 25.4% of the cases, the mode of transmission is not specified. Among new HIV cases (including AIDS cases) in 2004 (until 30/06/2004), 2.7% were intravenous drug users (2.3% in 2003).

Related links

back to top


Drug-related deaths

The Greek Focal Point collects data on drug-related deaths from the Public Security Directorate of the Hellenic Police. These data are based on the results of Forensic tests and Toxicological Laboratories and the Forensic Services of the Ministry of Justice. Data on drug related deaths are only available for deaths caused by an acute intoxication of drugs. This classification corresponds with the EMCDDA standard definition for special registries. In 2002 and 2003, a significant decrease in the number of deaths appeared for the first time. In 2004 an increase of 10.6% compare to 2003 was documented where a total of 240 confirmed drug-related deaths were reported. In 2004, heroin was reported as the cause of death in 98.3% of cases. The majority of cases were below the age of 30, 7.5% were females and most of the deaths (49.6%) occurred in Athens.

Related links

back to top


Treatment responses

 As far as the availability of drug treatment services is concerned, in Greece there has been a trend towards stepping up the establishment of new programmes in general and an effort to strike a balance between the types of treatment available, most notably in recent years. Recent available data on the number of treatment responses (reporting year: 2005) report 54 officially-recognised treatment programmes in the country run under the auspices of governmental and non-governmental organizations (http://www.ektepn.gr). The aforementioned programmes are divided into the following categories: 9 inpatient drug-free programmes, 28 outpatient drug-free programmes and 17 substitution treatment units. Government funds are the sole source of funding for the majority of programmes. The main theoretical models applied in drug-free programmes are therapeutic communities (residential programmes), systemic approaches and psychodynamic theory.

New drug-free treatment facilities established in 2004/2005 are two inpatient units in Athens (part of the multi-phase 18 ΑΝO Dependence Treatment Unit at Attica State Psychiatric Hospital), a Counselling Centre for Adolescents in Heraklion, Crete, and the MOSAIC Transitional centre in Athens, which provides psychosocial support to dependent individuals from vulnerable social groups, including refugees and immigrants. The two latter centres are operated by ΚΕTHΕΑ.
Substitution treatment has seen a systematic expansion and decentralisation since late 2002. In 2004 and 2005 alone, six new units started operating within the remit of OKANA. Pharmaceutical substances used in substitution treatment are methadone (introduced in 1993) and buprenorphine (introduced in 2002). Methadone is prescribed in the majority of cases, given that according to 2005 data around 70% patient in substitution treatment attended methadone substitution programmes.

At the moment there are sixteen social rehabilitation units in the country offering services to drug users who complete treatment. Greek professionals in the drug field see after-care and re-integration interventions as an integral part of drug addiction treatment.

Related links

back to top


Harm reduction responses

In practice, a climate of promotion of harm reduction in the past few years in Greece is reflected in increased substitution treatment in the country. Nonetheless, the availability of low-threshold services is still confined to the wider area of Athens. The first maintenance substitution unit was established in Athens in 2000. In 2002, substitution treatment was extended via the administration of buprenorphine to opiate addicts in selected public general hospitals in Greece and from 2003–2004 eight units offering buprenorphine were inaugurated. Other harm reduction practices in the rest of the country are limited to street work and interventions against the spread of infectious diseases in regions where specialised therapeutic programmes are based. Nevertheless, there is a reasonable level of co-ordination of interventions against the spread of infectious diseases in drug users and other high-risk groups at different types of services (i.e. specialised treatment centres, outreach and hospitals).

A significant number of interventions are implemented by street work programmes designed to prevent the spread of infectious disease and to reduce drug-related harm in high risk user populations. However, until recently they only covered Athens and Piraeus. In 2004, a street work programme was launched in Thessaloniki with encouraging results. Nonetheless, the number of street work programmes continues to be insufficient compared to global needs and should be extended to cover more cities across the country.

Related links

back to top


Drug markets and drug-related offences


In terms of drug trafficking, heroin originating from Southwest Asia is smuggled into Greece through the ‘Balkan route’, cannabis is imported mainly from Albania, and cocaine is shipped in from South America. The recent trends in terms of seizures in Greece as reported by the Central Anti-drug Coordinating Unit are as follows: in 2004 the quantity of seized cannabis plants increased by 89%. As in 2003, again a significant decrease in the quantity of cannabis seized was observed (34%). However, there was an increase of seizures of heroin (27.5% increase), and a significant increase in seizures of cocaine (more than 5  times more than 2003), LSD (more than 2 times more than in 2003) and methadone tablets (almost 2.5 times more than in 2003). On the other hand, there was an drop in the number of seized tranquillizer tablets (14.9%). Ecstasy seizures also showed an increase. A major achievement of the Drug Prosedcution Office (DPAs) was the seizure in August 2004 of one tonne of cocaine in Katamata, the largest seizure ever in Greece.

Data on drug-related offences are collected by the Hellenic Police and other Prosecution Authorities. According to these data, since 1995 a continuous upward trend has been observed for drug-related offences. However, the growth rate has dropped significantly in the past two years. The largest share of charges in 2004 relates to offences to cannabis use or trafficking followed by heroin-related offences. The number of charges relating to cocaine, ecstasy, LSD and amphetamines represent less than 10% of all charges.

Related links

back to top


National drug laws


Drug offenders in Greece are assessed as either dependent or non-dependent. The law distinguishes between drug possession or acquisition for personal use or commercial use and the punishment varies accordingly. In 2003, a new law was enacted which stipulates that individuals obtaining or otherwise processing drugs for personal use only, in quantities to satisfy their own needs only, or using drugs or cultivating cannabis plants in numbers and areas justified for personal use only, are sentenced to not more than one year in prison. In accordance with this law, the offence is not recorded on the offender’s criminal records on condition that they do not commit a relevant offence for a five year period. Offenders may be admitted to a Special Treatment Unit or a Special Prison Department operating under the auspices of lawfully-recognised agencies upon the order of the investigating judge. Traffickers may be sentenced to between five and 20 years' imprisonment, with a life sentence possible.

The EMCDDA's online database of information on European drugs-related legislation, the European Legal Database on Drugs (ELDD), provides further information, including detailed profiles of each country's drug legislation.

Related links

back to top


National drug strategy

In December 2001, a five-year National Action Plan on Drugs (2002–2006) was elaborated and adopted by an Inter-ministerial Committee. The plan provides the policy framework to tackle the drugs phenomenon by developing a balanced approach among measures to reduce drug demand and drug supply. Its main goal is the coordination of the activities between different national agencies. The plan’s main domain for the development of effective activities to deal with the drug problem is primary prevention. Other domains include coordination between ministries, treatment, rehabilitation and supply reduction. The year 2004 saw the launching of the elaboration of a new National Action Plan on Drug dependence.

Related links

back to top


Coordination mechanism in the field of drugs


The coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the overall policy implementation in demand reduction were assigned by the National Action Plan to the Greek Organisation Against Drugs (OKANA). In addition, an Inter-ministerial Coordination Committee created by law in 2001, assists OKANA in monitoring the implementation of the National Action Plan.

The Central Anti-drug Coordination Unit – National Intelligence Unit (SODN-EMP) is in charge of the coordination of all agencies involved in drug supply reduction.

Related links

back to top