"It has never been so dangerous to consume drugs": Barcelona tries to strangle trafficking with a new plan

Barcelona"The main problem in Barcelona is drugs." This is so, in the words of the third Deputy Mayor for Security of the Barcelona City Council, Albert Batlle, due to the effects it has on people who consume them, such as violent attitudes and health problems, but also on residents who have a square downstairs where consumption often takes place or on the same landing a flat where substances are sold. But also for people who travel around the city and have an accident with a driver who was drugged. "The vast majority of coexistence problems are related to drugs," Batlle continued, adding that there is a "banalization" of it. For this reason, the Guardia Urbana has created the Druida plan, presented this Tuesday at a press conference.

According to the head of the Guardia Urbana, Pedro Velázquez, the consumption of substances in the city is mainly recreational and the most consumed drug is cannabis. However, this marijuana has much higher levels of THC (its main active ingredient) than a few years ago, which makes it an even more dangerous drug. As in all of Europe, the drug market is increasingly changing, global, and with a constant emergence of new substances. "It has never been so dangerous to consume drugs," warned Velázquez. Right now, in Barcelona there are about ten different types of drugs being consumed on the streets.

One of the main lines of action of the Druida plan is to identify, monitor, and permanently intervene on retail points of sale, drug dens, problematic buildings, and consumption spaces. That is, to better locate these hotspots and intensify police presence there. In fact, the data for the first half of 2026 in Barcelona, especially regarding crimes against property, are not bad, with 11% fewer crimes. However, drugs continue to be a concern and efforts will also be made to combat them with 50 new agents who will arrive in September.

The Druid plan was initiated in June and a dozen raids on drug dealing spots have already been carried out, dismantling 74 spots. Normally, we are talking about apartments located in Ciutat Vella where drugs can be bought, although Velázquez admits that they are spreading throughout the city, also in the districts closest to the mountain. And cannabis clubs are also a concern. There are about 200 in the city and the vast majority, according to Batlle, have open files. However, the deputy mayor admitted that it is difficult to fight them. "We will continue, it will be a tough battle", he stated. These clubs are closely linked to the figure of the dealers – known internally as green agents – who are the people who go around the center of Barcelona offering spots where drugs can be consumed.

Five axes

Chief Superintendent Velázquez explained that the Druid plan is based on five axes. One is the identification of points of sale and consumption, but the second is also to control establishments that turn a blind eye to consumption, such as cannabis clubs, but also nightlife venues. The objective is to accumulate police intelligence to prevent those places where consumption or sale will occur, also working with cleaning services so that the recovery of the space is faster. Velázquez pointed out that citizen alerts and the information generated by 112 allow them to know, for example, where concentrations of complaints are accumulating, and it is here where police intervention is being "fine-tuned".

According to Velázquez, a framework has been generated that combines indicators such as calls or information with activity indicators, from identifications, reports, arrests or drug seizures. "All this combination is a novelty that we are incorporating into this plan", he commented. On the other hand, the installation of new video surveillance cameras will also allow "digital or virtual patrolling".  The third leg is road safety, increasing drug checks, focusing on electric scooter riders. 1,051 drivers of all types of vehicles have been detected driving under the influence of drugs. However, data shows a 28% decrease in this indicator. The fourth point of the plan is coordination with the health system to assist addicts, and the fifth is raising awareness among the youngest with more training in schools.