"Prevention methods using shock tactics are proven to be ineffective. Nevertheless, strategies based on predominantly providing information about the dangers of substance use are widespread in Europe. The European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) is concerned about those so-called prevention strategies. It calls on decisionmakers, influencers and policymakers to use scientific proof of effectiveness as a criterion for exposing our youth to prevention methods and not to spend public money on rather commercial offers, since there are better and less expensive alternatives."

In a recent p...

Social media is being used by the alcohol industry as a platform to promote their products.

This has raised concerns about adolescents’ exposure to alcohol advertising, as social media is extensively used by young people.

Through the Alcohol Act, Finland became the first country in the world to monitor and regulate social media for alcohol-related content.

The Finnish Alcohol Act restricts social media alcohol adverts in the following three ways:

1. the use of interactive games, competitions and lotteries is prohibited
2. the use of user-generated content may not be distributed through the...

Despite efforts to reduce concerning levels of alcohol consumption in Europe through adopting the WHO European Action Plan on Alcohol (EAPA), the region continues to have the highest prevalence of drinkers, heavy episodic drinking, alcohol consumption per capita, and the lowest proportion of abstainers, compared with other regions around the world.

Efforts to introduce policies that prevent and control non-communicable diseases are frequently hampered by trade agreements, conflicting economic interests, or the challenges of controlling online advertising and sales.

On examination of the WHO...

The National Health Service has been closely following the smoking, drinking and drug use trends amongst young people in England.

The series of surveys began in 1982. The most recent 2018 survey questioned 13,664 year 7 to 11 pupils, mostly aged 11 to 15, from 193 schools across England, between September 2018 and February 2019.

Data has been collected and analysed on:

• Smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption
• Young people who smoke
• Young people and smoking: the context
• Electronic cigarette use (vaping)
• Alcohol drinking prevalence and consumption
• Young people who drink alcohol
• Yo...

EMCDDA has developed a range of downloadable infographics to illustrate findings from the European Drug Report 2019.

The aim of the report is to provide reliable and detailed evidence of the drug situation in Europes so that practice and new policies can be informed by sound research.

By following trends, conclusions can be drawn and predictions made about how the drug situation might unfold in the future.

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has published the latest European Drug Report, which provides an analysis of the latest data on the drug trends across the European Union, Norway and Turkey.

The aim of the report is to provide reliable and detailed evidence of the drug situation in Europes so that practice and new policies can be informed by sound research. By following trends, conclusions can be drawn and predictions made about how the drug situation might unfold in the future.

The publication provides information on the drug supply and the market, drug...

The EUSPR Awards are now open!

Nominations can be made for:

• The Sloboda Medal for sustained contribution to the development of Prevention Science in Europe and internationally
• The Leading European Prevention Science Practitioner Honour- awarded for outstanding leadership of the adoption and implementation of evidence based prevention strategies, including support for further high-quality research evaluation.

Deadline for submission of nominations: September 1st 5pm (GMT)

Background

Adolescence is a critical period of vulnerability to substance use. Recent research has shown that gender differences in adolescence substance use are complex and in constant flux. The present study aims to investigate gender differences in substance use and initiation patterns in male and female adolescents, and to assess individual, family, peer, and school associated factors of these patterns.

Methods

We applied latent class regression analysis to a Portuguese representative population sample of 1551 15-year-old adolescents, drawn from the 2010 ‘Health Behavior in School-Aged...

The programme of work of UNODC in any region of the world is developed in a consultative process together with the concerned Member States. That is why UNODC organised a Regional Consultative Meeting on the Development of the Sub-Programme 3 “Drug use prevention and treatment of substance use disorders” held on 16-17 May 2019 in Skopje, North Macedonia. The workshop brought together more than 30 experts and policy makers from the countries of Southeastern Europe  who jointly worked to identify priorities for the new UNODC regional programme  2020-2023. Priorities related to the prevention of...