“Ecstasy” use remains concentrated in Europe (mainly Western and Central Europe)

• Use is significantly higher in Western and Central Europe than in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, both in terms of prevalence (1.2 per cent vs. 0.4 per cent) and number of users (nearly 4 million versus less than 800,000).
• Long-term trends vary across countries, according to population survey results, with some showing increases and others remaining stable or slightly declining.
• Wastewater data show that overall "ecstasy" consumption and/or its purity increased in the two European subregions between 2011 and 2024 (except for a drop during the COVID-19 pandemic). However, this trend has reversed in 2025, where the overall levels of the drug decreased and more cities detected a decrease than an increase.
• Wastewater data also show that the consumption of “ecstasy” is higher during weekends than weekdays, suggesting that the pattern of "ecstasy" use is more occasional than daily.