This report examines how and why young people are recruited into criminal drug networks across Europe. It highlights the range of factors that can increase vulnerability to recruitment, including social and economic disadvantage, peer influence, family circumstances, and community environments.

Drawing on international evidence, the report identifies several promising approaches to prevention, including family-based support, school-based interventions, community engagement, digital prevention initiatives, and targeted efforts to disrupt criminal networks. It also emphasizes the importance of...

The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) continues to monitor illicit drug production and precursor chemicals across Europe to improve understanding of how drug markets are evolving. Production within the European Union is primarily focused on synthetic stimulants, including amphetamine, MDMA, methamphetamine, and synthetic cathinones, while production methods are becoming increasingly flexible and adaptive.

The report also highlights the significant environmental and public safety risks associated with illicit drug production. Drug manufacturing can generate large amounts of hazardous chemical...

This paper explores how law enforcement can contribute to the prevention of substance use and other behavioural health risks beyond their traditional enforcement role. Using the United States as an example, it argues that police and other law enforcement agencies are important community partners who can support evidence-based prevention efforts.

Drawing on insights from police science, the paper outlines practical roles that law enforcement can play in prevention frameworks, including community engagement, early intervention, partnership building, and support for public health initiatives. It...

The European Drug Report 2026: Trends and Developments provides the latest overview of the drug situation across Europe, drawing on data from EU Member States, Türkiye, and Norway. The report examines patterns of drug use, drug-related harms, drug supply, treatment services, and other interventions, offering a comprehensive picture of developments up to the end of 2025.

Using data collected through national monitoring systems and European research networks, the report highlights emerging trends and supports evidence-informed responses to drug-related challenges. It also emphasises the...

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released its 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA), providing an overview of the threats posed by illicit drugs and the transnational criminal organizations involved in their production and trafficking. The report highlights the continuing impact of synthetic drugs, particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine, on public health, public safety, and national security.

This article explores how faith-based recovery programs combine spiritual support with evidence-based addiction treatment to help people achieve and maintain recovery. These programs integrate religious beliefs and practices with services such as detoxification, counselling, behavioural therapies, rehabilitation, and aftercare.

Faith-based approaches may provide additional benefits through shared values, community support, accountability, and opportunities to address feelings of shame and stigma often associated with substance use disorders. The article also highlights a range of faith...

This meta-analysis reviewed 55 longitudinal studies involving more than 540,000 participants to examine the relationship between spirituality and harmful or hazardous alcohol and other drug use. The findings show that spiritual and religious involvement is associated with a 13% reduction in the risk of substance use and related harms, with even stronger protective effects among individuals who regularly participate in religious communities.

The protective association was observed across alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other illicit drugs, and was linked to both prevention of substance use and...

The UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs is a practical online resource coordinated by UNODC that brings together tools, guidance, and operational resources from across the UN system to support responses to the global synthetic drug problem. Covering topics such as diversion prevention, investigations, trafficking, criminal financing, and cybercrime, the Toolkit is regularly updated to help policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and practitioners address the rapidly evolving synthetic drug landscape.

 

ISSUP will be sharing selected modules, tools, and resources from the UN Toolkit on Synthetic...

The UNODC Early Warning Advisory highlights a continued global expansion of new psychoactive substances (NPS), with nearly 1,400 substances reported worldwide. In 2024 alone, a record number of substances were identified, including over 100 newly detected compounds.

Synthetic opioids—particularly fentanyl analogues and nitazenes—are a growing concern, now reported across all regions. At the same time, benzodiazepine-type substances remain widely present in drug samples. A key emerging risk is polysubstance use, with a significant share of deaths involving multiple substances.

Overall, the...

The European Union Drugs Agency has released updated data sheets providing a clear and comparable overview of drug-related indicators across six Western Balkan partners under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). These include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia.

The data sheets bring together health and security information in one place, making it easier for policymakers and practitioners to access and use routine data. They are part of ongoing EU support to help these countries strengthen monitoring systems and align with EU...

The European Commission has introduced new controls on nine high-risk chemical precursors used in illicit drug production under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/314. Most of these substances are linked to synthetic cathinones, while one is used in amphetamine production.

This measure responds to the growing scale of synthetic drug production in Europe, with dozens of production sites dismantled in recent years. The regulation is based on updated risk assessments that improve understanding of how precursor chemicals are sourced and diverted into illegal markets.

Overall, the new controls aim to...

The 2025 Global Organized Crime Index shows that overall crime levels in Europe remain stable, and the region continues to rank among the least affected globally. However, this stability hides a more complex reality, with criminal markets and actors evolving and expanding.

Financial crime is the most widespread threat, driven by online fraud and cross-border schemes, while cybercrime continues to grow, often linked to state-backed or hybrid actors. Drug markets are also shifting, with cocaine and synthetic drugs increasing, while trafficking and smuggling networks remain deeply entrenched.

A...

Short Summary

Scam centres are a fast-growing global organized crime threat, generating over $1 trillion in losses in 2024. They use technology and psychological manipulation to target victims worldwide, supported by global criminal networks and easy-to-access tools.

Despite enforcement efforts, scams are expanding and adapting, often moving to low-governance environments and exploiting geopolitical gaps.

Key Actions

• Increase international coordination and intelligence sharing

• Pressure safe havens and strengthen regulation of tech and financial platforms

• Cooperate across...