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Evaluation of drug strategies and action plans has been conducted in many countries with the aim to assess the changes in the overall drug situation as well as the level of implementation achieved. Prevention of drug use and drug-related problems among young people is a key policy objective and is one of the pillars of the European Drugs Strategy 2013–20. Drug prevention encompasses a wide range of approaches. Eight countries adopted national strategies and action plans that cover both licit and illicit drugs. More attention is being paid to the development of targeted education and prevention activities, as well as training and awareness raising activities for professionals.
Regarding the emergence of new psychoactive substances in European countries, initial responses have been predominantly regulatory in nature, focused on tackling their supply by using legislative tools. New EU legislation was introduced in 2013 to strengthen controls over the trade in some drug precursors, both within the European Union and between Member States and third countries.
Targeted interventions also can facilitate access to treatment and ensure that the needs of different groups are met. The available information suggests that this kind of approach is currently most commonly available to young drug users, those referred from the criminal justice system, and pregnant women.
An estimated 700 000 opioid users received substitution treatment in the European Union in 2013, and a slight downtrend has been observed since 2011. In many countries a majority of opioid users are, or have been, in contact with treatment services. At national level, however, large differences still exist in coverage rates. Data for the period 2009–12 show a decline in public spending on health in most countries, compared with the pre-recession period 2005–07, with reductions of more than 10 percentage points in many European countries, at constant prices.
Programmes for homeless drug users, older drug users, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender drug users were less frequently available, despite many countries reporting that there was a need for this kind of provision. More...
