EU expert meeting on the EMCDDA key epidemiological indicator Problem Drug Use (PDU)
The 2012 annual expert meeting of the key epidemiological indicator ‘Prevalence and patterns of problem drug use’ (PDU) took place in Lisbon on 25 and 26 October. The meeting brought together 38 experts from EU Member States and Albania and Turkey.
The revision of the key indicator was the main topic of the meeting. Following an intensive period of preparation, a proposal was presented for consultation and finalisation.
The meeting also covered other topics such as new trends and developments, shortages of heroin in some countries and its replacement by other drugs, the emergence of injection of new drugs in some countries, and use of different methods (including treatment demand data) to improve injecting drug use estimates.