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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.
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...
Building Safer Communities: The Role of Community Policing in Substance Use, Violence and Crime Prevention in Uganda
ISSUP Uganda presents its webinar, " Building Safer Communities: The Role of Community Policing in Substance Use, violence and Crime Prevention in Uganda"
The Role of Faith Communities in Addressing Substance Use and Crime – Reading List (Part 2)
In this second reading list, we continue exploring the growing evidence on the role and contribution of faith communities and faith-based organisations in addressing substance use and crime, with a particular focus on treatment engagement...
Association Between Religiosity and Spirituality and Cocaine Use: A Systematic Review
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...
Religion, Crime, and Criminal Justice
This chapter reviews the evidence on the relationship between religion, crime, and the criminal justice system. It highlights a growing body of research showing a consistent inverse association between religiosity and criminal behaviour...
4th International Symposium on Drug-Related Studies - 2026, Sri Lanka
Call for Abstracts – 4th International Symposium on Drug-Related Studies 2026
The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), Sri Lanka, warmly invites researchers, academics, policymakers, practitioners, healthcare professionals, law...
International Journal of Substance Abuse Research and Policy
Call for Papers
International Journal of Substance Abuse Research and Policy (IJSARP)
The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), Sri Lanka, is pleased to invite researchers, academics, policymakers, practitioners, and...
Measuring gang membership in England and Wales: A latent class analysis with Eurogang survey questions
This study examines how gang membership is measured among young people using the Eurogang Network’s survey approach. Drawing on nationally representative data from England and Wales, the researchers used statistical analysis to identify...
Child Criminal Exploitation and the Interactional Emergence of Victim Status
This article draws on observations and interviews with youth justice practitioners and young people involved in county lines drug dealing to explore the processes by which young people are identified as victims of child criminal...
Protecting Youth from Mexican Drug Cartel Recruitment: The Prospects of Educational Interventions
This investigation considers the impact of Mexico’s War on Drugs since 2006 and the influence of widespread cartel networks on the youth population. As both victims and perpetrators of drug-related crime, the young individuals of Mexico are...
Recruitment of minors into organised crime
The recruitment of minors into serious and organised crime has increasingly become a tactic used by criminal networks to avoid detection, capture and prosecution. By using minors, the criminal networks increase the distance between the...
Addressing the recruitment of young people into criminal drugs networks
This report examines how and why young people are recruited into criminal drug networks across Europe. It highlights the range of factors that can increase vulnerability to recruitment, including social and economic disadvantage, peer...
