It recalled that the Swiss cities that took part in the recent European wastewater studyExternal link are among those with the highest cocaine rates: for overall average consumption, five Swiss cities featured in the top nine – Zurich, St Gallen, Geneva, Basel and Bern.
Lausanne has also been in the spotlight in recent weeks over drug dealing on the city’s streets by up to 200 West Africans. On TuesdayExternal link, the local authorities and police announced that more officers would combat the problem in certain districts, following complaints from local residents and a campaign led by Swiss film director Fernand Melgar.
The Addiction Switzerland statement also coincided with the release of a new European Union report, warning that the purity of street cocaine in Europe is its highest level in a decade and the number of people seeking treatment for use of the drug is on the rise.
Experts say the rise in cocaine purity is due to various factors including increased production in Latin America and the crackdown on cutting agents by law enforcement in many European countries.
The increase in purity has been accompanied by a marked rise in the number of first-time admissions to specialised treatment centres for cocaine problems. In 2016, 30,300 people entered treatment for the first time for problems with the drug, more than a fifth more than in 2014.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland wants to examine cooperation with the EU in the defence sector
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The Federal Council wants to examine a security and defence partnership with the EU. Exploratory talks are to begin as soon as possible. Among other things, the partnership would be used for defence procurement.
Swiss trial shows organic farming is 85% as productive as conventional agriculture
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This is shown by the results of a globally unique open-air trial that has been running for 47 years in Therwil in the canton of Basel-Landschaft.
Nestlé fined by Swiss canton for illegally filtered water
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Nestlé has been fined CHF 500,000 in the canton of Vaud for the unauthorised use of activated carbon filters in the production of mineral water. The filters were used to produce Henniez water from 2008 to 2022.
Swiss government proposes restrictions on Ukrainian refugees
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Only those whose life and limb are at risk in Ukraine and who flee to Switzerland are to be granted S status in future. The remaining Ukrainian refugees should apply for asylum. This is what the Federal Council is proposing.
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The Fribourg parliament approved a sum of CHF6.4 million to renovate the ramparts, the walkway and the towers, as well as to replace the exterior lighting.
Swiss rental housing listings increase for the first time in three years
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For the first time in three years, the number of advertisements for rental accommodation is on the rise, but this does not dampen demand, quite the contrary. In Ticino, the average duration of an advertisement published on the main portals is 30 days.
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Swiss police bust huge cocaine drug ring
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Police in western Switzerland say they have seized 13.8 kilograms of cocaine and arrested 13 members of an international drug trafficking gang.
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On weekends, Zurich is Europe’s cocaine hot spot. During the week it is second only to Barcelona, finds a wastewater study.
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Police in Switzerland have seized 14 kilograms of heroin worth over CHF2 million ($2 million) during a cross-border investigation.
Street Parade’s on-site drug testing aims to save lives
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A drug advisory service, funded by Zurich city authorities, has been carrying out anonymous drug testing at the Street Parade since 2001.
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The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug addiction ranked the Belgium port of Antwerp the cocaine capital of Europe in a study published in Lisbon on TuesdayExternal link, with an average concentration of cocaine in wastewater of 915 mg per 1,000 people per day. It was followed by London (894 mg) and Zurich (722…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.