Objective: This webinar marks the official launch of the EMCDDA’s foresight toolkit for the drugs field entitled How to run a trends workshop in the drugs field. The event also aims to promote a foresight approach and increase foresight literacy among the EMCDDA’s stakeholders and to take stock of current initiatives in this area and reflect on possible ways forward. Background: We live in an era of fast and fundamental changes. The pace of social transformation and technological innovation is accelerating and can outpace existing policies and responses. In such an interdependent and complex...

Background

Although several studies have found a high incidence of coexisting mental health problems among adolescents with substance use problems, follow-up studies addressing how these conditions change over time are rare. The study will describe and analyse indications of mental health problems and how various risk factors predict outcomes 1 year after initial treatment contact. In addition, gender-specific risk factors are explored.

Methods

A clinical sample of 455 adolescents (29% girls, median age 17 years) answered a structural interview at baseline and were followed up using...

This factsheet summarises information and statistics on new psychoactive substances gathered from recent reports on prevalence, treatment, mortality and legislation in Ireland.

Between March and May 2021, the EU4Monitoring Drugs (EU4MD) project supported the mapping of national prevention systems in European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) area countries.

This briefing describes the rationale and methodology of the prevention system mapping, presenting selected findings and highlighting key challenges encountered.

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• Arabic (ar) 
• English (en) 
• French (fr) 
• Russian (ru) 
• Ukrainian (uk)

INTRODUCTION:

The European Prevention Curriculum (EUPC) and The Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) are paradigms of the efforts to achieve an international standardised training for drug demand reduction. Both curricula are based on evidence-based knowledge and practice and follow the quality standards established by important international institutions such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). In addition to training directly aimed at professionals, it...

BACKGROUND:

The high prevalence of HIV and substance use disorders (SUD) in Ukraine remains a significant public health problem. A well-trained, recovery-oriented national workforce to enhance SUD treatment associated with HIV care is needed to reduce substance use and HIV-related burden in the country.

METHODS:

The Ukraine Addiction Transfer Technology Center (Ukraine ATTC) was established in 2017 to provide training and technical assistance on the intersection of HIV and SUD to support efforts to control the HIV epidemic in Ukraine. Data were derived from Ukraine ATTC initiatives in its...

Background

Opioid overdose remains a public health crisis in diverse communities. Between 2019 and 2020, there was an almost 40% increase in drug fatalities primarily due to opioid analogues of both stimulants and opioids. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD; e.g., buprenorphine) are effective, evidence-based treatments that can be delivered in office-based primary care settings. We investigated disparities in the proportion of national prescribers who have obtained a waiver issued to prescribe MOUD by demographic characteristics.

Methods

Data for the secondary data analyses were...

Background

Recently developed buprenorphine depot injections have the potential to reduce risk for diversion and misuse, and to increase adherence with fewer visits for supervised intake. However, it is unclear how patients perceive this new form of medication. The purpose of this study was to explore patients’ experiences of depot injections and their reasons for continuing, discontinuing, or declining depot injection treatment.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 32 people, 14 of whom had ongoing depot injection treatment, 11 who had discontinued depot...

Background

Substance use among youth (ages 12–24) is troublesome given the increasing risk of harms associated. Even more so, substance use services are largely under utilised among youth, most only accessing support when in crisis. Few studies have explored young people’s help-seeking behaviours to address substance use concerns. To address this gap, this study explored how youth perceive and experience substance use services in British Columbia (BC), Canada.

Methods

Participatory action research methods were used by partnering with BC youth (under the age of 30) from across the province...