Reducing the availability of illegal substances through law enforcement and regulation.
Supply Control
A Serious Matter: Laughing Gas Prompts Review of UK’s Psychoactive Substances Act
Introduced in 2016, The Psychoactive Substances Act is designed to deal with the influx of new drugs often labelled ‘legal highs’. The Act bans any substance that "by stimulating or depressing the person’s central nervous system… affects...
Why Are Many American Adults Misusing Prescription Painkillers?
Prescription painkillers are second only to marijuana as the United States drug of choice. Around 91.8 million Americans aged 18 and above used prescription painkillers in 2014, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health...
1st Regional Multidisciplinary, Multisectoral Conference on Drug Demand Reduction and Supply Suppression
Psychoactive drugs continue to have significant health, social and economic consequences on individuals, families and communities. This negatively impacts on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Preventing Violence Through Alcohol Consumption Reduction Measures
The World Health Organization has released a series of briefings on violence prevention. Of particular interest is Chapter 3: Preventing Violence by Reducing Availability and Harmful Use of Alcohol. ‘Harmful use of alcohol is a major...
ISSUP at the 60th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Earlier this week ISSUP attended the 60th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) at the Vienna International Centre.
Illuminating the Dark Web
The Economist reports that the drug trade is moving from the street to so-called online ‘cryptomarkets’, or secret virtual-shop-fronts. Online markets currently facilitate a comparatively small amount of illegal drug sales. Nonetheless...
Revealed: The Global Cost of Smoking
Smoking and its related harms cost the world more than $1 trillion and claim the lives of around 6 million people each year, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Cancer Institute. $1 trillion...
Police Seize 1,100 kg in Australia's 'Largest Cocaine Bust'
The largest seizure of cocaine has been documented with the arrest of 15 men. The drugs transited through the South Pacific and followed a seizure in French Polynesia. This bust is indicative of a growing concern of increased drug...
OxyContin Goes Global — “We’re Only Just Getting Started”
The LA Times investigates the expansion of pharmaceutical companies internationally which are trying to sell highly addictive OxyContin, an opioid medications, and are utilizing entertainers and sports figures to enter markets around the...
Report: Mixing Alcohol with Energy Drinks
VicHealth has released a report summarising a recent investigation into Australia’s consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks and its harmful consequences. The key findings include: Young people in metropolitan areas drink alcohol and...
