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Data
Systematically collected information used to understand patterns of substance use, substance use disorders, treatment needs, and drug market dynamics. This may include epidemiological data, service utilisation records, treatment outcomes, law enforcement intelligence, and public health surveillance. Data helps identify emerging trends, assess the effectiveness of prevention and treatment programmes, monitor trafficking and market activity, and guide evidence-informed policy and decision-making. Reliable data systems are essential for improving responses to substance use and ensuring that interventions are targeted, effective, and responsive to population needs.
UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs
The UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs is a practical online resource coordinated by UNODC that brings together tools, guidance, and operational resources from across the UN system to support responses to the global synthetic drug problem...
NEW Security Document Examination module in the UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs
UNODC has launched a new Security Document Examination module within the UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs, developed in collaboration with the UNODC Laboratory and Scientific Services. The module aims to help law enforcement, border control...
UNODC Current NPS Threats
The UNODC Early Warning Advisory highlights a continued global expansion of new psychoactive substances (NPS), with nearly 1,400 substances reported worldwide. In 2024 alone, a record number of substances were identified, including over 100...
Stimulant Use and Related Harms in Canada: Recent Trends
This report highlights a growing concern around stimulant use and related harms in Canada, particularly involving cocaine and methamphetamine. Data from multiple national sources show that stimulant-related deaths have significantly...
Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) data sheets
The European Union Drugs Agency has released updated data sheets providing a clear and comparable overview of drug-related indicators across six Western Balkan partners under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). These include...
EU controls nine drug precursors following first EUDA assessments
The European Commission has introduced new controls on nine high-risk chemical precursors used in illicit drug production under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/314. Most of these substances are linked to synthetic cathinones, while one is...
2026 National Drug Control Strategy - The White House
The 2026 National Drug Control Strategy outlines a comprehensive roadmap to reduce illicit drug use and protect communities across the United States. It prioritizes stopping the flow of drugs and precursor chemicals at all borders through...
Global Organized Crime Index 2025 - Europe Overview
The 2025 Global Organized Crime Index shows that overall crime levels in Europe remain stable, and the region continues to rank among the least affected globally. However, this stability hides a more complex reality, with criminal markets...
Policy Brief: Scam Centres – Combating a Global Phenomenon
Short Summary
Scam centres are a fast-growing global organized crime threat, generating over $1 trillion in losses in 2024. They use technology and psychological manipulation to target victims worldwide, supported by global criminal...
CCENDU Issue 7 (Part 2): Stimulant Use and Related Harms in Canada — Drivers and Adaptive Responses
This issue is the second of a special two-part series. Part 2 examines key factors driving stimulant use, what these trends mean for different groups of people and the responses being implemented to reduce harms.
Three key points of...
CCENDU Issue 7 (Part 1): Stimulant Use and Related Harms in Canada - Recent Trends
This issue is a special two-part series. The first part features a regional breakdown of reports from seven Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (CCENDU) nodes and five drug checking services from across the country. It...
Recent Pattern of Substance Use Among Patients with Substance Use Disorders in a Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre for Addiction in Dubai
BACKGROUND:
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a major contributor to global disease burden, premature mortality, and social disruption. While international data demonstrate shifting trends in polysubstance use, evidence from the United...
Artificial Intelligence in Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Support: Selected Readings and Practical Insights
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how we understand and manage substance use disorders (SUDs). The following curated readings highlight current developments, practical applications, and ethical considerations for AI in this field...
Artificial Intelligence in Addiction: Challenges and Opportunities
The article explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is currently used — and could be used — in the field of addiction research and treatment. The authors note that AI (machine learning, data mining, predictive analytics) offers...
WHO Africa Mental Health Dashboard
The WHO Africa Mental Health Dashboard, accessible via WHO AFRO Mental Health Dashboard, consolidates key indicators into a single, interactive platform that enables users to track progress, identify gaps and align national efforts with...
Navigating stigma: a qualitative study of barriers to opioid treatment engagement in Tanzania
Background
Stigma related to drug use is a well-documented barrier to engaging and remaining on medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), yet little is known about how stigma operates across multiple social and institutional settings in...
Adherence to mHealth quit smoking application ‘stopcoach’ on top of evidence based smoking cessation counselling: association with participant characteristics and long-term abstinence
Background
Smoking is more common in lower socioeconomic position (SEP) groups, but smoking cessation interventions are less effective for these groups. StopCoach, an mHealth intervention, supports people with lower SEP in quitting smoking...
Initial stakeholder perceptions around opioid settlement funds in Pennsylvania
Background
The opioid epidemic continues to pose significant challenges in the United States, with over 75% of nearly 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2022 involving opioids. Recently, efforts to curb the epidemic have made strides...
Becoming a Member of the Prevention Club: Development of Interdisciplinary Prevention Terminology
Introduction
Prevention science is interdisciplinary, drawing upon multiple fields of research and practice to develop integrated knowledge. A challenge facing the field is the proliferation of different terms with the same meaning, and of...
World Drug Report 2025: Webinar on Key Trends and Policy Challenges for Africa
As a follow-up to our previous webinar outlining the Key Findings of the World Drug Report 2025, ISSUP on 28 August 2025 presented a review of the World Drug Report 2025 through an African lens. The webinar was moderated by Radolf Nortey...
