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
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
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
Culturally sensitive substance use treatment for racial/ethnic minority youth to reduce use Treatment not-drug specific ethnic minority, young people Unknown effectiveness
Multicomponent programmes to control alcohol sales Prevention alcohol partygoers/nightlife Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacological treatment (OST) vs placebo treatment to reduce use in female drug-using offenders Treatment opioids women, prison Unknown effectiveness
Nonpharmacological adjunctive treatment for postpartum women to reduce opioid use Treatment opioids women Unknown effectiveness
Employment-based interventions for vulnerably housed persons Social reintegration not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacotherapies for cannabis use disorder Treatment cannabis Unknown effectiveness
Job Seekers Workshop (JSW) to improve employment outcomes Social reintegration not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Group treatment for substance use in adults Treatment Unknown effectiveness
Interventions to reduce intimate partner violence perpetration by men who use substances Harm reduction not-drug specific families Unknown effectiveness
Drug consumption rooms to reduce HIV and HCV Harm reduction amphetamines, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Psychosocial interventions vs treatment as usual to reduce criminal activity (re-incarceration) in female drug-using offenders Treatment not-drug specific women, prison Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacotherapy to improve treatment outcomes in patients with comorbid bipolar and substance use disorders Treatment co-morbidity dual-diagnosis patients Unknown effectiveness
Contingency management to reduce cannabis use for patients with comorbidities Treatment co-morbidity Unknown effectiveness
Emergency department-based brief interventions to reduce use and harms Treatment not-drug specific emergency department Unknown effectiveness
Police and law enforcement measures to reduce alcohol sales Prevention alcohol law enforcement, partygoers/nightlife Unknown effectiveness
Psychosocial interventions to reduce use in female drug-using offenders Treatment opioids women, prison Unknown effectiveness
School-based multiple risk behaviour interventions to prevent illicit drug use Prevention not-drug specific young people Unknown effectiveness
Virtual Reality to reduce craving in substance use disorders Treatment not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Motivational interviewing to improve treatment outcomes in vulnerably housed persons Treatment not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Drug consumption rooms (DCRs) to reduce injecting risk behaviour Harm reduction amphetamines, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacotherapy for amphetamine and/or methamphetamine use Treatment amphetamines Unknown effectiveness
Safe tattooing and body piercing programmes to reduce blood borne viruses transmission in prison Harm reduction not-drug specific prison Unknown effectiveness
Brief interventions to improve treatment outcomes in young cannabis users Treatment cannabis young people Unknown effectiveness
Internet-based interventions to reduce stimulant use Treatment amphetamines, cocaine Unknown effectiveness
School-based multiple risk behaviour interventions to prevent cannabis use Prevention cannabis young people Unknown effectiveness
Brief interventions to reduce cannabis use in healthcare settings Treatment cannabis Unknown effectiveness
Permanent supportive housing to improve physical and mental health outcomes Social reintegration not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Drug consumption rooms to reduce public disorders Harm reduction amphetamines, cocaine, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Interventions for drug-using offenders with co-occurring mental illness to reduce drug use and re-arrest Treatment co-morbidity dual-diagnosis patients, prison Unknown effectiveness
Opioid substitution treatment (OST) to improve HCV treatment outcomes Harm reduction amphetamines, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Digital interventions to treat substance use disorder (alcohol) Treatment alcohol Unknown effectiveness
Motivational interviewing to reduce illicit drug use in adolescents Treatment not-drug specific young people Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacotherapy treatment options for crack-cocaine dependence Treatment cocaine Unknown effectiveness
Cognitive behavioural therapy plus tapered doses versus tapered doses only to reduce benzodiazepine use in the long-term Treatment prescription medicines Unknown effectiveness
Family- or individual-level multiple risk behaviour interventions to prevent alcohol use Prevention alcohol young people Unknown effectiveness
Technology-based psychotherapeutic interventions to reduce cannabis use in patients with psychosis Treatment co-morbidity, cannabis dual-diagnosis patients Unknown effectiveness
Anti-tobacco mass-media campaigns in combination with school programmes Prevention tobacco school, young people Unknown effectiveness
Standalone social influence–based interventions to reduce cannabis use Prevention cannabis, opioids school Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacological interventions for benzodiazepine discontinuation Treatment prescription medicines Unknown effectiveness
Opioid substitution treatment (OST) in prison to reduce criminal justice outcomes Treatment opioids prison Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine withdrawal Treatment amphetamines Unknown effectiveness
Psychosocial interventions involving IECS to prevent HIV and HCV infection Harm reduction amphetamines, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Interventions to reduce substance-related stigma Social reintegration not-drug specific communities Unknown effectiveness
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