Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide

Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide examines some of the key public health challenges in the drugs field today and offers timely and practical advice to practitioners and policymakers for designing, targeting and implementing effective responses. The guide is composed of four sets of miniguides that look at responses to a range of drug problems in Europe. Framing the miniguides are two central resources: an action framework for developing responses and a set of strategies for successful implementation. Several spotlights frame issues cross-cutting the different components.

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Action framework and strategies for successful implementation

These two resources provide support to those planning health and social policy or interventions to address drug problems. The action framework helps to clarify current thinking about the response process and the factors to consider at each stage, while the strategies (to be published at a later stage) detail a number of activities that may help to support successful implementation.

Action framework: health and social responses

Strategies for successful implementation

Patterns of use

Miniguides considering problems from the perspective of particular patterns of drug use and the specific substances that are of concern in many EU countries.

Cannabis: responses miniguide

Medicines: responses miniguide

NPS: responses miniguide

Opioids: responses miniguide

Polydrug use: responses miniguide

Stimulants: responses miniguide

Harms

Miniguides considering responses to particular drug-related harms that are of concern in many EU countries.

Infectious diseases: responses miniguide

Opioid-related deaths: responses miniguide

Settings

An important factor that can influence drug use, the problems that may be associated with use and the selection of appropriate responses is the setting in which use occurs.

cover of miniguide on local communities and drugs: health and social responses

Local communities: responses miniguide

Prisons and drugs: responses miniguide

Recreational settings: responses miniguide

Schools and drugs: responses miniguide

cover of miniguide on workplaces and drugs: health and social responses

Workplaces: responses miniguide

People with vulnerability

Some sub-groups of the population have particular drug problems, needs or vulnerabilities that require specific interventions. Miniguides addressing the needs of vulnerable groups will be published in 2022 and 2023.