بحث
Law Enforcement
The activities of authorised agencies such as police, customs, border services, and investigative bodies to enforce drug control laws and address criminal activities related to the production, trafficking, and distribution of illicit substances. These activities may include investigations, intelligence gathering, interdiction, and collaboration with national and international partners to disrupt organised crime networks. Law enforcement plays an important role in protecting public safety and maintaining the rule of law, and is most effective when coordinated with broader public health, prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts as part of a balanced and comprehensive response to substance use.
Public Health Alert: Cychlorphine, a Highly Potent Emerging Synthetic Opioid
This public health alert from Addiction Policy Forum highlights cychlorphine, a highly potent emerging synthetic opioid detected in the unregulated drug supply in the United States, including alongside fentanyl and other substances. The...
Public Health Alert: Cychlorphine, a Highly Potent Emerging Synthetic Opioid
This public health alert from Addiction Policy Forum highlights cychlorphine, a highly potent emerging synthetic opioid detected in the unregulated drug supply in the United States, including alongside fentanyl and other substances. The...
Understanding youth recruitment to inform prevention: Insights from EUCPN
ABSTRACT
Young people are increasingly being drawn into organised crime, with criminal networks exploiting social, economic and personal vulnerabilities to involve children and young people in criminal activities. Recruitment can take many...
SBIRT AS A TOOL FOR PREVENTION AND REDUCING RISKY SUBSTANCE USE BEHAVIOURS AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN ZARIA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA.
ABSTRACT
Background: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based practice that has been shown to reduce alcohol and drug use in healthcare settings, but there is a paucity of research on the...
Making intersectoral collaboration work: connecting people, services and communities
ISSUP’s 2026 conference session on intersectoral collaboration explored how health, justice and community services can work together to help people access and stay connected to appropriate support. Presentations from Thailand, Kenya and Ghana, alongside an introduction to deflection, highlighted clearer referral pathways, shared responsibilities, workforce wellbeing and earlier opportunities for care. These themes connected with the wider conference discussions on evidence-informed practice, youth prevention, recovery and faith-based support. Members were encouraged to adapt the learning to their roles and local circumstances, involve people using services in improvements, and assess changes in health, relationships and everyday life alongside service activity. The session recording offers a starting point for further learning, discussion across professions and practical collaboration through ISSUP National Chapters and professional networks.
Recent U.S. drug alerts: Turning emerging evidence into workforce preparedness
Recent United States alerts on fentanyl analogues, medetomidine, cychlorphine, drug mixtures and concentrated 7-OH products highlight evolving challenges across the substance use workforce. They invite us to review local preparedness, understand testing limitations and strengthen links between frontline services, laboratories and public-health partners. A useful response brings together clinical, prevention, recovery and peer perspectives, with clear responsibilities for turning relevant findings into action. For the global ISSUP community, these alerts offer lessons in preparedness while requiring careful consideration of local evidence, resources and service arrangements. Staying informed through trusted sources and sharing practical responses through ISSUP can help translate emerging knowledge into safer care and more responsive support for individuals, families and communities.
Synthetic cannabinoids: Reflections from Mauritius
During a recent engagement in Mauritius, I had the opportunity to hear the National Agency for Drug Control (NADC) present the National Drug Control Master Plan 2026–2030 and to share the suite of resources available through ISSUP. This...
Organized crime groups: A systematic review of individual-level risk factors related to recruitment
Background:
Studies from multiple contexts conceptualize organized crime as comprising different types of criminal organizations and activities. Notwithstanding growing scientific interest and increasing number of policies aiming at...
Psychosocial determinants of recidivism risk among incarcerated individuals with a history of substance use: A systematic review
The prevalence of recidivism among individuals with a history of substance use and incarceration remains a significant concern for criminal justice systems worldwide. With significant social and economic ramifications, preventing people...
Rehabilitation and Re-entry Programmes for Justice-Involved Individuals and Their Effectiveness in Social Reintegration: A Systematic Review
Prison rehabilitation and community re-entry programmes implemented during incarceration or in the transitional period serve as significant mechanisms for facilitating justice-involved individuals in their post-release adaptation. This...
The product may not be what it says: What emerging synthetic drugs and dangerous mixtures mean for practice
The clearest message from our recent ISSUP Global webinar was a simple but important one: we should stop assuming that an unregulated drug product contains only what it is sold as containing. That uncertainty now has direct implications for prevention, clinical care, recovery support, toxicology, law enforcement, policy and the administration of justice.
Drug Diversion Schemes Linked to Lower Reoffending Rates, New Research Finds
New research examining more than 62,000 criminal incidents across 13 police forces in England found that police-led drug diversion schemes are associated with significantly lower reoffending rates than traditional prosecution for drug...
Do Drug Diversion Schemes Work? Insights from the Thames Valley Police Drugs Diversion Pilot
This paper examines the development and early outcomes of the Thames Valley Police Drugs Diversion Pilot in West Berkshire, which offers people found in possession of drugs an opportunity to engage with treatment rather than receive a...
The introduction of drug Arrest Referral schemes in London: A partnership between drug services and the police
Arrest Referral (AR) schemes in London were established to connect people who use drugs with treatment services at the point of arrest through collaboration between police and drug service providers. Based on interviews with police officers...
Bangladesh’s Youth Victims of Addiction: A Hidden Crisis Behind the Number
Introduction
In Bangladesh, drug addiction has ceased to be only a law enforcement problem. It has become a serious social and psychological disaster. Its principal victims are the most promising population of the country: the youth. A...
International Youth Day 2026: Launch of the Global Youth Survey
ISSUP Global Youth Network, in collaboration with Drug Free America Foundation, World Federation Against Drugs and Fourth Wave Foundation, presented a webinar to celebrate International Youth Day on 12 August.
The New Drug World: Strengthening Collaboration to Address Synthetic Drug Threats
This report examines how the rapid growth of synthetic drug markets is transforming the global drug landscape and challenging traditional approaches to drug control. Unlike plant-based drugs such as cocaine and heroin, synthetic drugs can...
Heroin Trafficking Along the Northern and Southern Routes: Emerging Trends and Strategic Implications
This paper examines how heroin trafficking routes from Afghanistan into Europe have evolved following the Taliban's return to power in 2021. It explores the changing dynamics of the northern and southern trafficking routes, highlighting how...
Bangladesh’s Youth Victims of Addiction: A Hidden Crisis Behind the Number
Introduction
In Bangladesh, drug addiction has ceased to be only a law enforcement problem. It has become a serious social and psychological disaster. Its principal victims are the most promising population of the country: the youth. A...
Beyond Borders: Is the Synthetic Drug Crisis Outrunning Our Public Health Infrastructure
I had the chance to review a compelling research presentation hosted by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), which revealed significant data from a large-scale study on methamphetamine (‘Crystal Meth/Ice’) use...