More and more young people in Germany are dying from drugs. The number of drug deaths among those under 20 has nearly doubled since 2021, rising to 106 last year, according to Hendrik Streeck (CDU), the German government's drug commissioner, who announced the figures in Berlin on Tuesday. Among those under 30, deaths rose 52.6 percent over the same period, to 528, meaning that almost one in four drug deaths in Germany now involves someone under the age of 30.
Streeck said he was shaken that drug victims keep getting younger, and argued that Germany needs more prevention, earlier intervention, and a support system that reaches people in time.
"Young people mix medications, alcohol and other substances, often without knowing the fatal risks of these combinations, many of these young people are not yet able, or not fully able, to grasp the risks," Streeck said.
According to government figures, 2,150 people died from drugs in Germany in 2025 overall. In 81.5 percent of cases, more than one drug was involved. Cocaine and crack were linked to 769 deaths, more than double the number recorded in 2021.
"The drug market has changed fundamentally, drugs, counterfeit medications and high-risk mixtures are today often just a few clicks away," Streeck said. The dealer on the street corner, he added, is no longer the only problem.
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