This systematic review examines the association between religiosity, spirituality, and cocaine use by analysing findings from 20 observational studies involving adults and adolescents. Most studies found that higher levels of religiosity were associated with lower lifetime and current cocaine use, suggesting that religious engagement may serve as a protective factor against substance use.

The review also highlights important exceptions. One study involving sexual minority participants found that certain forms of private religious practice were associated with higher cocaine use, while several...

This article explores how faith-based recovery programs combine spiritual support with evidence-based addiction treatment to help people achieve and maintain recovery. These programs integrate religious beliefs and practices with services such as detoxification, counselling, behavioural therapies, rehabilitation , and aftercare.

Faith-based approaches may provide additional benefits through shared values, community support, accountability, and opportunities to address feelings of shame and stigma often associated with substance use disorders. The article also highlights a range of faith...

This meta-analysis reviewed 55 longitudinal studies involving more than 540,000 participants to examine the relationship between spirituality and harmful or hazardous alcohol and other drug use. The findings show that spiritual and religious involvement is associated with a 13% reduction in the risk of substance use and related harms, with even stronger protective effects among individuals who regularly participate in religious communities.

The protective association was observed across alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other illicit drugs, and was linked to both prevention of substance use and...

This European guide by EUDA highlights the importance of addressing dual disorders, where mental health conditions and substance use disorders occur at the same time. These co-occurring conditions are common and often lead to poorer health outcomes, increased social marginalisation, and more complex recovery pathways.

The guide emphasizes that effective responses require integrated and coordinated care, bringing together mental health services, addiction treatment , medication management, and social support. It also highlights the value of early identification, personalised treatment plans...

This study examines how changes in religiosity influence recovery outcomes among people in addiction treatment . It finds that individuals in faith-based programs show higher and increasing levels of religiosity over time, which is linked to better abstinence outcomes after treatment.

While both faith-based and secular programs provide similar clinical support (e.g. counseling, social support), faith-based approaches add a strong spiritual dimension, which appears to strengthen long-term recovery. The findings highlight that religiosity is not static—its development over time plays an...

The 2025 Annual Report to the Parliament on Drug Addictions in Italy offers a comprehensive overview of the current drug addiction landscape. Despite a slight decline in youth drug use for the first time since 2018, the report highlights ongoing challenges, particularly with substances like cocaine, synthetic opioids, and high-potency cannabis derivatives. Law enforcement and judicial efforts remain strong, and Italy continues to be a key collaborator in global anti-drug initiatives, particularly with countries in South America and the Indo-Pacific region.

The report also emphasizes the...