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Contents
Injecting drug use stable or declining
Injecting drug use is strongly associated with severe health problems in drug users, including blood-borne infections (e.g. HIV/AIDS, hepatitis) and overdose. But the latest analysis of this practice is encouraging. In a new EMCDDA report released ahead of International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking (26 June), injecting drug use is described as stable or declining in most European countries. Full article >>
'Think health, not drugs'
'Think health, not drugs', was the theme of this year's International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking (26 June). It is also the slogan of the international campaign led by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to raise awareness on the major challenge that illicit drugs represent to society as a whole, and especially to the young. Full article >>
Council calls on EU scientific experts to assess risks of mephedrone
Europe has responded to rising concern over the use of the synthetic drug mephedrone by formally requesting a scientific investigation into the health and social risks of the substance. The decision was announced by the Council of the EU on 27 May, in line with the three-step legal procedure designed to respond to potentially threatening new psychoactive drugs in the EU. Full article >>
Early-warning system annual meeting
When a new psychoactive substance is detected on the European market, EU Member States ensure that information on the manufacture, traffic and use of the drug is transmitted to the EMCDDA and Europol via their national networks (the Reitox national focal points and the Europol national units). This information exchange mechanism is the EU early-warning system on new psychoactive substances. Full article >>
Drugs and prison: improving our understanding
A considerable proportion of the prison population in Europe is made up of drug law offenders and of drug users who have committed drug-related crime to support their addiction. Drug using prisoners often suffer from health problems (e.g. infectious diseases, mental disorders) and, on account of reduced tolerance, are at high risk of a fatal drug overdose after release. Yet, in many countries, drug interventions in the prison setting remain limited. Full article >>
Harm reduction moves to the mainstream
Harm reduction is now an integral part of contemporary drug policies and plays an important role in responding to drug use in Europe. But this has not always been the case, say the experts. In a major EMCDDA scientific work on the subject released on 21 April, leading European and international specialists chart how harm reduction shifted from controversy to mainstream. Full article >>
Harm reduction: the next generation
Harm reduction is now two and a half decades old and a substantial body of evidence exists to demonstrate its feasibility and effectiveness in a variety of social and cultural settings. But what is needed as we move to the third decade? How adequate are the models of harm reduction developed so far? Is the 'comprehensive package' of harm reduction for HIV sustainable in low and middle income countries? Full article >>
Children's voices — experiences and perceptions of children around drugs and alcohol
Children's Voices, a collection of narratives from children on issues of substance use in Europe was released by the EMCDDA on 1 June to mark International Children's Day. Alcohol and drug use in their different forms can have a profound impact on the lives of children. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children should be able to express their views in all matters touching their lives. The purpose of the publication is to provide a channel for such expression and offer insight into some of the key drug and alcohol issues affecting children. Full article >>
World drug report 2010
In 2009, the United Nations Member States decided to make further and decisive progress, over the next decade, in controlling illicit drug supply and demand. 'Many illicit drug markets have reached global dimensions and require control strategies on a comparable scale', says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). In this context, it underlines the need to improve understanding on these transnational markets and the manner in which they operate. This year's World drug report, launched by the UNODC on 23 June, is a contribution to this objective. Full article >>
Coming up: European technical conference on drug supply indicators
The last two years have seen unprecedented interest, both technically and politically, in improving the evidence base for understanding issues of drug supply. In this optic, the European Commission and the EMCDDA have joined forces to organise this autumn the first European technical conference on drug supply indicators. Full article >>
EMCDDA and EMA step up cooperation
Exchanging information on new psychoactive substances and misused medicines was facilitated recently, thanks to a new working arrangement signed in London on 10 June by the EMCDDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The signatories were EMCDDA Director Wolfgang Götz and EMA Executive Director, Thomas Lönngren. Full article >>
Reitox Academy focuses on the evaluation of national drug strategies and action plans
Monitoring the evaluation of national drug strategies and action plans, and offering methodological support to Member States who need it, is a key part of the EMCDDA's work. Among the objectives of its latest three-year work programme (2010–12) is to develop guidelines in this area to identify conceptual approaches and provide practical steps and methods. Full article >>
EMCDDA–CICAD cooperation
The EMCDDA collaborates with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed in 2000 with CICAD's parent body, the Organisation of American States (OAS). In this context, the organisations held their annual coordination meeting in Washington from 1–3 June to discuss a new EMCDDA–CICAD work programme. Full article >>
EMCDDA Management Board approves organisational reshuffle
An organisational reshuffle of the EMCDDA's scientific area was approved by the agency's Management Board at its meeting in Lisbon from 1–2 July. The review was defined by the Director, taking into account various internal and external factors since 2005. Full article >>
Bookshelf Resources Spotlight Calendar New EMCDDA products and services
July–September
2010
In this issue: injecting drug use stable or declining; early-warning system annual meeting; EU scientific experts to assess risks of mephedrone; harm reduction moves to the mainstream; EMCDDA and EMA step up cooperation; European technical conference on drug supply indicators coming up; EMCDDA-CICAD cooperation; new products and services.
Drugnet Europe is also available in downloadable PDF format, for printing or offline browsing.
Drugnet Europe is the EMCDDA's newsletter launched in September 1996. The newsletter provides regular and succint information on the Centre's projects and activities to a broad readership.
Page last updated: Monday, 19 July 2010