Publications database

This policy briefing considers the development of evidence-based drug demand reduction interventions. Following a definition of key terms used in the evidence-based drug demand reduction arena, the briefing then presents the main...

This briefing paper describes some of the practical and legal obstacles facing Member States when responding to such new substances. It underlines the importance of national early-warning systems in detecting and identifying...

Khat leaves are cultivated in the highlands of the Horn of Africa, Southern Arabia and along the East African coast. In many countries, chewing khat is an age-old tradition. More recently, the...

Many of the accidents and deaths that occur on European roads are caused by drivers whose performance is impaired by a psychoactive substance. Alcohol alone is estimated to account for up to...

Summary: Substance use is generally associated with young people, but such problems have no age limits. Current evidence in relation to the elderly is limited, making it difficult to estimate the precise...

Cocaine use presents new challenges for Europe’s drug treatment services. Although services can leverage experiences gained in responding to other types of drug problems, the pharmacology of cocaine, the social diversity of...

Because the drug phenomenon, its causes and consequences are both complex and serious an evaluation of policy is particularly useful in this field. In permitting a reasoned value judgement of the effects...

Most young people who experiment with drugs or use them recreationally — at parties, for example — do not develop serious drug problems. For these individuals, the greatest risks are associated with...

The perspective of a European Union consisting of up to 28 countries may raise some simplistic fears in the public domain as far as drugs are concerned. In particular, there are serious...

Estimates suggest that at least half of the EU's 356 000 prison population has a drug-use history and many of those entering prison have a severe drug problem. Prison does not necessarily...