BERLIN (Reuters) - Almost all euro banknotes circulating in Germany contain traces of cocaine, scientists said on Wednesday, as notes rolled up by users to snort the illegal drug contaminate the cash system.



"Nine out of 10 banknotes show clearly measurable amounts of cocaine," Fritz Soergel from the Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research in Nuremberg told Reuters on Wednesday. Some 600 euro notes were examined in the study.


The study could not provide conclusive evidence on levels of cocaine usage in Germany and the euro zone but Soergel said there was a clear correlation between the findings and levels of recorded cocaine abuse in European countries.


"Studies have shown that the amount of cocaine found on banknotes in countries where there is less cocaine usage, such as France, Finland and Greece, is much lower than in countries where it is more widespread," he said.


Results from a separate study the institute carried out on euro notes in Barcelona were particularly startling, he said.


"We were almost knocked flat by what we discovered there. The concentrations of cocaine on Spanish euro notes were almost a hundred times that of what we recorded in Germany," he said.


An investigation in London in 1999 showed more than 99 percent of banknotes in circulation were tainted with the drug.


Tests by the European Union (news - web sites) on national currencies of countries now using the euro prior to its introduction in 2002, showed the deutschemark had the third highest level of cocaine contamination behind the Spanish peseta and the Irish pound.


The prevalence of cocaine traces on paper money is often attributed to cash counting machines in banks, which mix contaminated notes with uncorrupted ones.


Soergel said the concentrations found suggested other reasons than cross-contamination which demanded further research. "The problem goes much deeper," he said.


Neither the German government nor European Central Bank, who print the notes, would comment on the findings, which made the front page of several leading newspapers on Wednesday.

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Username changed to Ocean-Glow.

yeah so dont go licking your banknotes.

i've heard one of five for american notes, but i have no evidence to back that up.

i darent think what goes on in the uk government!!!

how's that ANY different from the states?
I read somewhere that 80-90% of all US 100$ bills contain traces of cocaine

quote:

Originally posted by Z1D how's that ANY different from the states? I read somewhere that 80-90% of all US 100$ bills contain traces of cocaine

the $100 bill is a specific denomination. the article said ALL euro banknotes. the study seems a little flawed because it doesn't mention the denominations of euros studied. they can't ignore the fact that higher denominations (esp. $100 bills) are used more frequently to snort coke.
interesting study, but scientifically flawed if it doesn't account for the role denominations play,

quote:

Originally posted by Z1D how's that ANY different from the states? I read somewhere that 80-90% of all US 100$ bills contain traces of cocaine

yeah but i didnt have an article on the US doing it.

I wonder if they considered the fact that those traces from those bills would likely rub off on normal bills when stacked together. Probably not.

It's quite disgusting when you really think about it. I mean, here you are in the stalls of some club, snortin' blow up your honker with a dollar bill that's likely been used by others snortin' up their respective honkers. Then you probably didn't consider just how dirty the back of the toilet is where you snort, nor do you consider how dirty the blow might be in the first place.

Well, I've solved all these problems, and I think others should follow my lead. Here's what I do. First, take the blow you've been given from your trusted source. Then with a bottle of chlorox bleach, mix it all together in a large bowl. Make sure you use the whole bottle - you want to get rid of all the germs. Next, distill the mixture down to it's powdery substance, and put that newly cleaned blow in a fresh new baggy.

Now the hard part is over. When you go to the clubs and you feel that need to get yo'self "up", take your clean blow to the bathroom and line it up on the bathroom mirror you've taken off the wall at home (don't even think about using those dirty bathroom stalls or sinks for lining up buddy - that's just too sick!!!). Be sure your bathroom mirror from home is well cleansed prior to the first snort, usually with a nice bottle of ammonia will work. Then, once it's all lined up on YOUR CLEAN mirror, take the beer bong you just bought from the local "I-wanna-get-fucked-up" party-favors store, and use this as your snorting tool. Again, be sure it is well cleansed, either with bleach or ammonia will do. Then once it's all finished up, make sure you take your bottle of ammonia (Formula 409 is my favorite) and clean all tools thoroughly. It wouldn't hurt to get a couple of extra "snorts" from the ammonia bottle to help clean out your own pipes a little. Now you're done, so take your big bathroom mirror, your beer bong, and your bottle of ammonia with you out of the bathroom, and you're ready to party!!!

And if anyone asks you why you're carrying around a big mirror, a bottle of ammonia, and a beer bong, simply tell them 3 consecutive times, "I don't do drugs!!!!" They'll usually leave you alone, and off you go...

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Whence September dusk grows crisper still,
with leaves all crimson conquered,
I yearn to shout,
and dance about,
and stick pickles in my honker...

quote:

Originally posted by MisterOpus1 I wonder if they considered the fact that those traces from those bills would likely rub off on normal bills when stacked together. Probably not. It's quite disgusting when you really think about it. I mean, here you are in the stalls of some club, snortin' blow up your honker with a dollar bill that's likely been used by others snortin' up their respective honkers. Then you probably didn't consider just how dirty the back of the toilet is where you snort, nor do you consider how dirty the blow might be in the first place. Well, I've solved all these problems, and I think others should follow my lead. Here's what I do. First, take the blow you've been given from your trusted source. Then with a bottle of chlorox bleach, mix it all together in a large bowl. Make sure you use the whole bottle - you want to get rid of all the germs. Next, distill the mixture down to it's powdery substance, and put that newly cleaned blow in a fresh new baggy. Now the hard part is over. When you go to the clubs and you feel that need to get yo'self "up", take your clean blow to the bathroom and line it up on the bathroom mirror you've taken off the wall at home (don't even think about using those dirty bathroom stalls or sinks for lining up buddy - that's just too sick!!!). Be sure your bathroom mirror from home is well cleansed prior to the first snort, usually with a nice bottle of ammonia will work. Then, once it's all lined up on YOUR CLEAN mirror, take the beer bong you just bought from the local "I-wanna-get-fucked-up" party-favors store, and use this as your snorting tool. Again, be sure it is well cleansed, either with bleach or ammonia will do. Then once it's all finished up, make sure you take your bottle of ammonia (Formula 409 is my favorite) and clean all tools thoroughly. It wouldn't hurt to get a couple of extra "snorts" from the ammonia bottle to help clean out your own pipes a little. Now you're done, so take your big bathroom mirror, your beer bong, and your bottle of ammonia with you out of the bathroom, and you're ready to party!!! And if anyone asks you why you're carrying around a big mirror, a bottle of ammonia, and a beer bong, simply tell them 3 consecutive times, "I don't do drugs!!!!" They'll usually leave you alone, and off you go...

i have one issue with your scheme... it isnt safe to mix bleach and ammonia.

LMFAO @ everything in this thread... licking bills, ROTFL!

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quote:

Originally posted by butterfly i have one issue with your scheme... it isnt safe to mix bleach and ammonia.

Damnit! I knew there was a reason why my nosehairs are falling out! Thanks.

___________________
Whence September dusk grows crisper still,
with leaves all crimson conquered,
I yearn to shout,
and dance about,
and stick pickles in my honker...