Pilot project to describe and analyse local drug markets. First phase final report: illegal drug markets in Frankfurt and Milan : Project CT.99.EP.06

ENGLISH :
This is the final report of a pilot project to describe and analyse local drug markets was started in September 1999 and carried out throughout 2000 in Frankfurt (Germany) and Milan (Italy).
Data for the study were primarily gathered through secondary sources (studies, literature, institutional information, legal files and media articles). Primary sources were also used, with more than 100 interviews conducted in each of the cities with drug users, suppliers, law-enforcement officials and treatment providers. A questionnaire was developed exclusively for this purpose.
The study shows that, following the spread of cannabis and LSD use in the late 1960s, LSD disappeared and, in the 1980s, parallel drug markets developed: one for heroin and one for cannabis. However, in the 1990s, the polarisation of these markets was shaken by the diffusion of a variety of illegal drugs, including cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy. This was accompanied by a diversification of drug users in terms of socio-economic integration and cultural background.
According to the study, the majority of drug deals are carried out by numerous, relatively small and often ephemeral enterprises. Some are family businesses, some non-kin groups and others are crews which form and split as the opportunity arises. In both cities, the retail market is dominated by foreign dealers who occupy the most dangerous positions.
Although some dealing enterprises may attempt and occasionally exercise a monopoly on certain areas, none of them is able to influence the drug price by varying the quantity available on the market. In both cities, drug markets have always been open markets where anyone can make his or her own fortune.