Cocaine cheapest in Belgium

Drugs such as cocaine are cheap to come by in Belgium, according to the recently released results of the annual online Global Drug Survey (GDS). Compared to other countries, so-called party drugs like cocaine are remarkably cheaper in Belgium.

About 80,000 people worldwide took part in the GDS, conducted at the end of 2013, including 2,700 participants from Belgium, mostly young people in their twenties who go out a lot.

A gram of cocaine costs on average €53 in Belgium, compared to €70 to €100 in neighbouring countries, reports De Morgen. In a country like New Zealand, the price of cocaine can even reach €290 per gram.

One reason the drug is so cheap is because Belgium is at the front of the distribution chain. "Belgium is a turnstile; Drugs come in via the ports and go from there to the rest of Europe," says Tina Van Havere of Hogeschool Gent, who coordinated the GDS in Belgium. "As a result, drugs are generally more readily available here than in other countries. And cheaper, because there are a lot less middlemen."