Voluntary EMQ Module for monitoring use of New (and not so new) Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in General Adult Population Surveys and School Surveys

Summary

This module is a supplement to the original European model questionnaire (EMQ). 

The questions provide additional information on the use of ‘new and non standard drugs’. (specifically: controlled or non-controlled psychoactive products not included in the standard list that may be sold in different forms,including branded products or mixtures as well as single ‘named’ substances that imitate the effects of illicit drugs and not used as a medicine).

The questions are intended to be added to the end of the drug-specific section/s of EMQ’s module on illicit drugs and will help to measure the extent of commercial market penetration, regarding purchase and use of these types of products. The exact format may need to be modified to accord with the type of survey used, overall questionnaire design and country context (for which some scoping work is necessary), however comparability between surveys will be enhanced if there is a high degree of commonality.

About the European model questionnaire (EMQ)

For surveys conducted among the adult population in households, the EMCDDA Handbook for surveys among the general population reviews and discusses key methodological issues regarding drug population surveys and provides guidelines for reporting of information to the EMCDDA. The Handbook provides a list of core items, called the European model questionnaire (EMQ), for inclusion in questionnaires of national surveys, or for reporting equivalent data from existing surveys. The EMQ can be used to collect data on the period prevalence of a range of drugs, as well as information on age of first use and frequency of use.