WATER ANALYSIS - PAFOS 'STABLE', OTHER AREAS REVEAL CONCERNING FIGURES - Pafos Press 19/3
In Cyprus in 2025, urban wastewater now functions as an irrefutable “mirror” of society, capturing with scientific accuracy the real habits of drug use. The pan-European research of the SCORE network in collaboration with EUDA illuminates not only the overall picture, but mainly the strong differences from city to city, revealing a dynamic and changing reality.
The general picture shows that Cyprus remains below the European average, however this does not translate into stagnation. On the contrary, wastewater analyses record increasing trends in many substances and, above all, different “profiles” of use per urban center.
In Nicosia, the picture is mainly determined by cannabis, which shows a significant increase, confirming its long-standing position as the most widespread substance. The capital does not show extreme changes in synthetic drugs, but the steady rise in cannabis suggests a “normalization” of use, especially among younger ages.
Limassol, on the other hand, presents the most contradictory picture. On the one hand, there is an explosive increase in amphetamine, with a rise of almost 260%, which indicates an increase in the use of stimulants, possibly linked to nightlife and high-intensity work patterns. On the other hand, the city shows a significant decrease in cocaine (-66%) and MDMA, which indicates a shift in users’ preferences.
In Larnaca, the analyses reveal a different dynamic: cocaine increases by 93%, MDMA by 157% and methamphetamine by 115%. This is a city where “recreational” substances seem to be increasing simultaneously, creating a multifactorial use profile linked to both tourism activity and local social conditions.
Ayia Napa appears as the most “explosive” point on the map. Methamphetamine increases by 287% and amphetamine by 258%, recording the highest increases in the country. This picture is consistent with the character of the region as an international tourist destination of intense nightlife, where stimulants seem to dominate.
Paphos is noticeably different, showing relative stability, especially in cannabis, without major fluctuations in other substances. This picture may reflect a more relaxed pace of life and a different tourist composition compared to other cities.
At the level of substances, the analysis reveals clear shifts. Amphetamine is on the rise almost everywhere, signalling a general shift towards stimulants. Methamphetamine, although remaining low overall, is showing dangerous local spikes. Cocaine presents a contradictory picture, with a decline in some cities and a sharp increase in others, while MDMA, despite a decrease at the European level, is showing local increases in Cyprus. At the same time, cannabis continues its steady rise, confirming the massiveness of its use, while ketamine, from being almost non-existent in the past, is starting to be recorded at levels approaching other European cities.
The main conclusion that emerges from the journalistic reading of the data is that there is no single “Cypriot picture” of drug use. On the contrary, multiple micro-geographies of use are taking shape, with each city developing its own profile. Limassol is turning to new-generation stimulants, Larnaca is ramping up recreational drugs, Ayia Napa is seeing extreme increases, Nicosia is stabilizing cannabis, and Paphos is maintaining a more subdued image.
Through this lens, urban wastewater is not just a scientific tool, but a powerful journalistic asset: a silent but accurate record of changes in the behaviour of a society that, while remaining at lower levels than the rest of Europe, seems to be entering a new, more complex phase of psychoactive substance use.
