Countries of the WHO European Region need an effective policy framework to reduce alcohol consumption levels and the associated health harms. WHO is hosting 3 consultations on the draft of the “Framework to strengthen implementation of the WHO European Action Plan to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (EAPA), 2022–2025”. These consultations are with civil society, Member States and members of the public.

In accordance with the regional plan for implementation of the programme budget for 2022–2023 (EUR/RC71/12) and as requested by Member States, WHO/Europe has now produced a draft...

Today, the European Commission has adopted measures to control two harmful new psychoactive substances (NPS) across the EU. The substances in question — 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) and 3-chloromethcathinone (3-CMC) — are both synthetic cathinones, which have been raising concerns in Europe.

The delegated act follows risk assessments conducted by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) in November 2021 (2) as part of a three-step legal procedure designed to respond to potentially threatening new drugs available on the market (3).

You can read the full press release here.

•  Communiqué - fr [19 KB]
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Dear friends and colleagues, 

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs is starting very soon! In fact, tomorrow, Monday, 14 March 2022. 

Once again, all sessions, as well as the side events, are to be held online due to the pandemic. The good thing about that means that, you can still follow the plenaries and the side events! That’s why we thought that you might appreciate having all the links in one place.

GENERAL LINKS TO FOLLOW CND

• Link to 65th session with general information on organizational arrangements: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/CND/session/65_Session_2022/65CND_Main...

In Norway, overdose mortality is over 260 per year, with opioids being implicated in the majority of cases. In 2014, the Norwegian government announced a government-funded nationwide overdose prevention initiative in response to the country's high overdose rates. A broad take-home naloxone (THN) program was one of the key treatments featured. Data collecting techniques moved from paper to electronic during the scaling-up of a nationwide Norwegian take-home naloxone (THN) program. The goal of this study was to find out how employees felt about the change in data gathering.

A survey of 200...

Summary:

This paper explores the evidence base for services designed to meet the needs of people who experience homelessness and use drugs. Through a delimited analysis of existing systematic and rapid evidence reviews, it considers the key lessons for the development of effective homelessness services in Europe.

The aims of the paper are two-fold. Its first objective is to identify the gaps and limitations in our understanding of what constitutes homelessness, as well as the holes in the existing evidence base around service provision for those experiencing homelessness. The second goal is...

The European Web Survey on Drugs collected data between March and April 2021 from people who use drugs, aged 18 or older, living in 21 EU and 9 non-EU countries. During this period the populations in many European countries were experiencing COVID-19-related lockdown or restrictions. Unless otherwise indicated, the data presented here refer to the 48469 respondents who reported having used at least one illicit drug in the 12 months prior to the survey (last 12 months use) and live in one of 21 EU countries covered by the survey and Switzerland

Here, you can find out more about the top level...

BACKGROUND

The two-year, multidisciplinary Master’s in Drug Dependence (MDD) at the University of Barcelona was created in 1986, after some years of offering shorter seminars. It was a response to the heroin crisis of the 80s and 90s and Spain’s longstanding alcohol and smoking problems. Addressing the situation required specialised professionals, and a specific curriculum for drug dependence did not exist. As far as we know, the MDD is the longest-running programme of its kind in Europe.

AIMS

To describe briefly the conceptualisation and development of this master’s programme.

RESULTS

Th...