Best practice portal – evidence database

This database gives you access to the latest evidence on drug-related interventions. The information is based on systematic searches is updated regularly. To get started use the search boxes below. Click here for more information about the Evidence database (including methods).

List of Evidence Summaries
Title Area Substance Target group(s) or setting(s) Evidence rating
Psycho-social treatment (including contingency management) to improve crack-cocaine users housing conditions Social reintegration cocaine Unknown effectiveness
Psychosocial interventions to reduce alcohol use among people who use illicit drugs Treatment alcohol Unknown effectiveness
Therapeutic workplace (TW) to improve employment outcomes Social reintegration not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Standalone knowledge-based school interventions to improve knowledge and reduce use Prevention not-drug specific school Unknown effectiveness
Spiritual/religious (S/R) interventions for substance use disorders Treatment alcohol, co-morbidity, not-drug specific, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, new psychoactive substances (NPS), opioids, prescription medicines, tobacco Unknown effectiveness
Digital interventions to reduce cannabis use among adolescents and young adults Treatment cannabis young people Unknown effectiveness
Pyschosocial interventions versus comprehensive standard care for pregnant women for treatment and obstetrical outcomes Treatment cocaine, opioids women Unknown effectiveness
Restricting opening hours to reduce alcohol related injuries Prevention alcohol partygoers/nightlife Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacological vs non-pharmacological treatment to reduce use and criminal activity in drug-using offenders Treatment not-drug specific prison Unknown effectiveness
Scare-tactics and fear-based messages to inform choices on substance use Prevention Unknown effectiveness
Family focused interventions that address parental domestic violence and abuse, mental ill-health, and substance misuse Treatment not-drug specific families Unknown effectiveness
Drug consumption rooms to reach most marginalized injecting drug users and to facilitate access to health care services Harm reduction amphetamines, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Standalone anti-alcohol/tobacco peer programmes Prevention alcohol, tobacco school Unknown effectiveness
Needle and syringe programmes in prison to reduce injecting risk behaviours Harm reduction opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacotherapies to reduce stimulant use in comorbid opioid users Treatment cocaine, opioids Unknown effectiveness
Naltrexone to reduce criminal activity (re-incarceration) and improve treatment outcomes in drug-using offenders Harm reduction opioids prison Trade-off between benefits and harms
Opioid withdrawal with antagonists under heavy sedation to reduce adverse effects Treatment opioids Evidence of ineffectiveness
Information provision to prevent drug- and alcohol-related problems Prevention alcohol partygoers/nightlife Evidence of ineffectiveness
Educational interventions in recreational settings to influence attitudes and drinking behaviour Prevention alcohol partygoers/nightlife Evidence of ineffectiveness
Replacement of glassware in recreational settings aimed at preventing injuries among servers Prevention alcohol partygoers/nightlife Evidence of ineffectiveness
Electronic Age Verification (EAV) devices to increase the frequency of age verification at recreational premises Prevention alcohol partygoers/nightlife Evidence of ineffectiveness
Standalone mass-media campaigns for alcohol consumption Prevention alcohol partygoers/nightlife Evidence of ineffectiveness
Opioid withdrawal with antagonists under heavy sedation to retain patients and reduce use Treatment opioids Evidence of ineffectiveness
Compulsory drug treatment to reduce recidivism Treatment not-drug specific Evidence of ineffectiveness
Standalone mass-media campaign for tobacco consumption Prevention tobacco Evidence of ineffectiveness
Availability of take-home naloxone (THN) to increase opioid use Harm reduction opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Evidence of ineffectiveness
Drink-driving programmes to reduce alcohol-related injury in car crashes Prevention alcohol partygoers/nightlife Evidence of ineffectiveness
Farmacoterapia para mujeres embarazadas Treatment cannabis pregnant women Evidence of ineffectiveness
Computer-based interventions to reduce recreational drug use Prevention not-drug specific young people Likely to be beneficial
School-based alcohol-specific prevention programs in preventing alcohol misuse in school-aged children up to 18 years of age Prevention alcohol school Likely to be beneficial
Physical exercise to improve mental health outcomes and quality of life Treatment not-drug specific Likely to be beneficial
Integrated treatment for anxiety and opioid disorders Treatment co-morbidity, opioids dual-diagnosis patients Likely to be beneficial
Heroin maintenance treatment (HAT) for chronic heroin users Treatment opioids Likely to be beneficial
Provision of condoms and lubricant in prison to reduce sexual risk behaviours Harm reduction not-drug specific prison Likely to be beneficial
Psychosocial interventions for amphetamine-type stimulants use disorder to reduce risk behaviours Treatment amphetamines Likely to be beneficial
Interactive programmes targeting vulnerable youth Prevention alcohol, cannabis, tobacco young people Likely to be beneficial
School-based programmes to reduce bullying and victimisation Prevention not-drug specific school Likely to be beneficial
Therapeutic communities in prison and aftercare to reduce re-incarceration rates of drug-using offenders with co-occurring mental illness Treatment co-morbidity dual-diagnosis patients, prison Likely to be beneficial
Opioid substitution treatment to improve mental health outcomes in the short-term Treatment opioids dual-diagnosis patients Likely to be beneficial
Police interventions in uniform in nightlife settings to reduce public disorders Prevention alcohol communities, law enforcement, partygoers/nightlife Likely to be beneficial
Psychosocial interventions to improve outcomes in families with parental substance misuse Treatment alcohol, not-drug specific families Likely to be beneficial
Culturally sensitive prevention programs for substance use Treatment school, young people Likely to be beneficial
Psycho-social treatment to retain crack-cocaine users in treatment and reduce use Treatment cocaine Likely to be beneficial
Multi-component prevention programs for alcohol misuse in young people Prevention alcohol communities, families, school, young people Likely to be beneficial
Cognitive behavioural therapy plus tapered doses versus tapered doses only to reduce benzodiazepine use in the short-term Treatment prescription medicines Likely to be beneficial
HCV treatment for patients in opioid substitution treatment Harm reduction opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Likely to be beneficial
Standalone parental training to reduce risk behaviours Prevention not-drug specific families Likely to be beneficial
Standalone life skill-based interventions to reduce cannabis use Prevention cannabis school Likely to be beneficial
Psychosocial interventions with substitution treatment to retain patients in treatment Treatment opioids Likely to be beneficial
Police interventions in nightlife settings to reduce crime Prevention not-drug specific communities, law enforcement, partygoers/nightlife Likely to be beneficial

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