Prosecution of drug users in Europe — varying pathways to similar objectives

Researching and analysing the responses of the criminal-justice systems to drug offenders throughout Europe is one of the EMCDDA’s priorities. This study is the result of a decision taken by the EMCDDA’s Management Board in 1999 to set up a legal information system on drugs. This study, focusing on the gap between law and practice, aims to highlight the real outcomes for individuals arrested for using and selling drugs and committing property crimes.