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The price of cocaine in Iceland has decreased from 2017, as quantities seized by police and admissions to drug rehabs for cocaine addiction have increased, Vísir reports.

Inga Sæland, the chair of the People’s Party, is also spearheading a parliamentary discussion on the matter. She contends that the cocaine arriving in Iceland is purer than it has ever been, adding, “Despite the fact that police have seized up to 40 kilos of cocaine, the street value has not gone up, which should tell us that there’s more than enough of a supply.”

According to data from the National Centre of Addiction Medicine (SÁÁ), the price of cocaine has indeed decreased from 2017. While other drugs have slightly decreased in price or remained steady, the price of cocaine has seen the sharpest decrease of all, going from 18,000 ISK per gramme in 2017 to 13,700 ISK per gramme today (bearing in mind that these are average prices).

The chain of effect of increased supply and decreasing prices has led to more people experimenting with cocaine, leading to an increase of people who end up addicted. Vogur, one of Iceland’s largest drug rehabs, has seen an increase in intakes for cocaine addiction, totalling some 51% of all admissions in 2018.

Arnþór Jónsson, the chair of SÁÁ, is urging national and municipal cooperation in increasing housing for drug addicts in Iceland. A shortage of space has increased the danger that many of these addicts will end up on the street, cut off from the services that could actually help them.