Drug consumption national differences

Illicit drug consumption in the areas served by the investigated WWTPs was back-calculated from the drug residues found in the influent wastewaters. In the light of the results obtained, cocaine is the most abused drug, followed by cannabis, amphetamine, heroin, MDMA, and methamphetamine. This profile slightly differs from national official estimates. Deviations may result from a different drug consumption pattern in the studied area compared to the Spanish territory, or from potential biases in the approach used in this study or in official estimates. 

Figure 4.1 The United States consumes some 85% of all the Ritalin produced in the entire world—an astonishing figure. This graph, based on data from the United Nations on methylphenidate consumption, demonstrates the dramatic difference between U.S. use of Ritalin and similar stimulant drugs and that of the rest of the world.

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