Study: Cocaine found on Spanish euros

VALENCIA, Spain, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Euros found in Spain had the largest cocaine traces among similar currency used in other European countries, a study has found.

University of Valencia Professor Miguel de la Guardia said his study, which was published in the Trends in Analytical Chemistry science journal, discovered that euros in Spain had cocaine traces five times higher than those located in Germany, the EU Observer reported Friday.

"Traces of the drug are found not only on notes that have been in direct contact with it, but on nearly all the notes in circulation," the Analytical Chemistry Department professor said.

The study came years after a 2006 study found that 94 percent of all Spanish banknotes contained some trace of the illegal drug, the Observer said.

The publication said 40 to 51 percent of British banknotes studied had traces of cocaine, while only 6 percent of francs used in Switzerland had sizable traces of the drug. Snopes.com says various studies of U.S. currency have produced varied results but that roughly four out of five bills are contaminated with cocaine.