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The European Union is one of the most urbanised areas in the world and its cities are set to become more densely populated. Currently 73 % of the EU population resides in...

The financial crisis that hit the global economy in the summer of 2007 has no precedent inpost-war economic history. It differed from other fluctuations in its magnitude and the degree to which...

Knowledge of the extent and patterns of drug use in the general population, and their changes over time, is a key aspect in understanding the drug phenomenon in Europe and in monitoring...

‘Synthetic cannabinoids’ or, more correctly, synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs), are synthetic chemicals that mimic the effects of the natural psychoactive substances found in cannabis. ‘Legal high’ products containing SCRAs have been...

Since 1997, the EMCDDA has played a central role in Europe's response to new psychoactive substances. Its main responsibilities in this field are to operate the EU Early Warning System, with its...

Much attention is focused on the many new drugs emerging alongside the apparent decline in the use of established substances, such as heroin. In this globalised, inter-connected world the situation can change...

Some drug users go on to develop more severe forms of use, defined by the EMCDDA as ‘high-risk drug use’: ‘recurrent drug use that is causing actual harms (negative consequences) to the...

General population survey data from EU Member States show that cannabis is the illicit drug most used by Europeans. The latest data show that an estimated 14.6 million young Europeans (aged 15–34)...

Comparable and reliable information on the numbers and characteristics of those entering specialised drug treatment in EU Member States is essential for understanding the European drug problem. The EMCDDA has been collecting...

Drug strategies and plans adopted over the last five years by six intergovernmental organisations engage 148 countries in five continents. Here, we present a brief overview of these documents, looking at their...