European Responses Guide

What are the most effective treatment options for cannabis problems? How to respond to new trends in cocaine use? How to help prevent the non-medical use of medicines? Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide 2021 is designed to support practitioners and policymakers in tackling the negative consequences of drug use.

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collage of six photos 1 - two hands holding cigar 2 - neddle and spoon 3 plastic bags with drugs 4 - cup with drink and mirror with line of drug 5 - hand holding a plastic bag with white powder 6 - hands holding blisters with pills

 

Spotlight

New psychoactive substances: health and social responses

Lisbon Addictions is back: Registration and call for abstracts are open!
Close-up of a male hand holding a transparent sachet with white powder

Stimulants: health and social responses
View through a glass table with a glass of alcohol, powder and a syringe

Polydrug use: health and social responses
A hand holding a spoon with heroin and a syringe

Opioids: health and social responses

FAQ: drug overdose deaths in Europe
Hands removing differently coloured pills and tablets from packaging

Non-medical use of medicines: health and social responses
close up of arms of two people sharing a cannabis joint (photo credit Louis Hansel, Unsplash)

Cannabis: health and social responses
computer simulation of a Hep C virus

Toolkit to increase access to hepatitis C testing and care in drug services
Graphic shows a series of pie charts for cannabis, cocaine, MDMA and amphetamines, showing drug prevalance rates in the EU. Cannabis is the most used drug with 7.7% of adults having used it in the last year. Last year use for cocaine is 1.2%, MDMA is 0.9%

European Drug Report 2021

Latest news

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Publications

cover of miniguide drug-related infectious diseases: health and social responses

Infectious diseases: responses miniguide
cover of mini guide new psychoactive substances: health and social responses

NPS: responses miniguide
cover of mini guide stimulants: health and social responses

Stimulants: responses miniguide

Polydrug use: responses miniguide
cover of mini guide opioids: health and social responses

Opioids: responses miniguide

Medicines: responses miniguide

Cannabis: responses miniguide
All publications
cover of the european drug report 2021

European Drug Report 2021: Trends and Developments
Cover for theof health and social responses

European Responses Guide
Wastewater POD's cover

Wastewater analysis and drugs — a European study

EU Drug Markets Report 2019

An analysis of drugs in used syringes from sentinel European cities

Medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids
All publications

Events

close-up of a Euro note

EMCDDA-CEPOL joint training on drug crime and markets – strategic analysis

30 Nov 2021 to 03 Dec 2021

Online

Training

logo of nicc-incc with white background and nicc in black font and incc in blue

Visit to the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology

06 Dec 2021

Belgium, Brussels

Visit

photo of hands working around a laptop on a glass table

EMCDDA Technical meeting EUPC - TOT (Training of Trainers)

06 Dec 2021 to 10 Dec 2021

Training

EMCDDA-TEDI network meeting of European drug checking services

07 Dec 2021 to 08 Dec 2021

Online

Meeting
All events

Videos

Video screenshot of EU4MD video

EMCDDA beyond EU borders: spotlight on countries neighbouring the EU (EU4MD)
Video thumbnail of the video on IPA

EMCDDA beyond EU borders: spotlight on pre-accession partners (IPA)
Screenshot from the webinar on cannabis control approaches

EMCDDA webinar: Cannabis control approaches across Europe
Screenshot of the EMCDDA webinar on health and social responses to cannabis showing chair person Jane Mounteney and a slide presenting the European Responses Guide

EMCDDA Webinar: Health and social responses to cannabis problems in Europe — time for a paradigm shift?
Screenshot of a presentation from the EMCDDA webinar on prison and drugs

EMCDDA webinar: Prison and drugs in Europe: current and future challenges
Video Screenshot of EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel

Spotlight: Impact of COVID-19 on EMCDDA activities
All videos

Data visualisations

While last year cocaine use among young people is low, in many countries in Europe it is close to 3%.

Infographic: cocaine use in the last year in Europe – young adults (15-34)
Some key cannabis prevalance use data for young adults in Europe. Less than 20% have used cannabis in the last year. There are wide variations between countries, from 2% to over 20%. More men report using than women. Frequency of use varies widely.

Cannabis use in the last year in Europe – young adults (15-34)
Graphic shows a series of pie charts for cannabis, cocaine, MDMA and amphetamines, showing drug prevalance rates in the EU. Cannabis is the most used drug with 7.7% of adults having used it in the last year. Last year use for cocaine is 1.2%, MDMA is 0.9%

At a glance — estimates of drug use in the European Union (updated June 2021)
Brreakdown of seizures of drugs in 2019. Most seized drugs were herbal cannabis (37%), cannabis resin (36%) and cocaine (11%).Infographic also shows trends in seizures since 2009. Biggest increases: MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine and herbal cannabis

Drug seizures at a glance, 2019
infographic showing characteristics of cannabis users entering treatment. 84% are male. Approximately half are daily users.Trends since 2009 so an apprroximately 20% increase.

Cannabis users entering treatment in the EU (updated June 2021)
Infographic shows price and purity for cannabis resin and herbal in EU. Price for resin is on average between 7 and 12 euros and for herbal betwen 8 and 13. Resin is about twice as potent. Price is fairly stable since 2009 but potency has increased a lot.

Cannabis price and potency in the European Union (updated June 2021)
Infographic shows different charts illustrating the characteristics of cocaine users enterng treatment. They are mainly male and use cocaine more than once a week. Most sniff cocaine. Between 2009 and 2019, numbers entering treatment in EU are similar.

Cocaine users entering treatment in the EU (updated June 2021)
Graphic showing seizures of cannabis resin and herb in the EU in 2019. While numbers for quantities of seizures are similar (approximately 350000 in the EU), the quantity in weight of cannabis resin seized is two to three times greater than for herb.

Cannabis seizures in the EU (updated June 2021)
Graphic showing number and quantity of seizures of cocaine in the EU in 2021. Approximately 100000 seizures in number and a little over 200 tonnes in weight.

Cocaine seizures in the EU (updated June 2021)
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