Sciensano & Hallucinogenic mushrooms

Sciensano collects data and analyses the use of illegal drugs, the drug market and drug addiction in Belgium in 7 main thematic areas:

• the use of drugs in the general Belgian population (link is external) 
• at-risk druguse (link is external) 
• infectious diseases related to drugs (link is external) 
• mortality due to drug use (link is external)
• the demand for treatment due to drug use (link is external) 
• the drug market, criminality and limiting the supply of drugs (link is external)
• new psychoactive substances (NPSs) or high-dose and high-risk substances (link is external).

The laboratories of the medication department of Sciensano also analyse the composition of certain samples of illegal drugs in the framework of the Belgian Early Warning System on Drugs.

Sciensano's main objective is to support healthcare professionals and national and international policy makers in the development, implementation and assessment of a global and integrated policy regarding drug use.

Sciensano publishes each 4 years a survey about the Belgian's Health.

Emotional well-being, chronic conditions, eating habits, access to health care, nutrition or the use of tobacco, alcohol, medicines and illegal drugs are all addressed.

The module on the use of 'illegal drugs' evaluates the number of individuals in the general population that use cannabis, but also other dangerous substances, such as cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, heroin or recently new psychoactive substances (NPS). The latter are already on the market, but are not yet legally prohibited.