BACKGROUND: The identity and social representation of people linked to drugs depend on their interaction with the system that collects and analyses the critical data used to describe it. AIM: The aim of this study is to see if by adopting a non-institutional and non-formal approach the drug users’ profile will be different from that in mainstream formal studies.

METHODS: Data was collected using a Community Treatment information and systematization tool (First Contact Form – FCF). Critical information on 6,090 cases was systematized. Data was collected by teams implementing Community...

This week the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has released the European Prevention Curriculum - a handbook designed for decision, opinion and policy makers in science-based prevention of substance use. The aim of the EUPC initiative is to implement a standardised prevention training curriculum in Europe and improve the overall effectiveness of prevention.

Adapted from the Universal Prevention Curriculum by the EU-funded UPC-Adapt group, the handbook is based on the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention and the European Drug Prevention Quality...

The high dropout rate (75%) in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment among women and racial/ethnic minorities in the United States necessitates a better knowledge of the factors that contribute to treatment success. While therapy and medication for OUD are considered the top standard of care in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, many people with OUD receive just counseling or methadone-only therapies. This study compares gender inequalities in methadone-based treatment plan progress to counseling-based programs in one of the biggest SUD treatment systems in the United States.

The...