The science of addiction is complicated, and it continues to be a field where the debate over definitions, models, theories, and the most appropriate ways to respond continues. 

EMCDDA's Insight Review provides a critical analysis of the different models of addiction.

The researchers explore ways in which the different models could be arranged into a collected structure that can be used to guide prevention, assessment and treatment practices.

The authors hope that the report will support the reader in developing an understanding of the complicated issues surrounding addiction and that...

This guide presents information on raising children to be drug free.

It includes:

• An overview of substance use among youth, with a focus on how it can affect academic performance
• Drug descriptions
• Risk factors that could make youth more susceptible to drug, alcohol and/or tobacco use
• Suggestions on how to talk to youth about drugs
• Tips about what to do if you suspect your child to be using substances

Click here to access the document.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood (2017) is a special volume that supplements the organisation’s Preventing Drug Abuse Among Children and Adolescents, released in 2003.

It reflects “a growing body of research […] showing that providing a stable home environment, adequate nutrition, physical and cognitive stimulation, warm supportive parenting, and good classroom management in the early years of a child’s life (prenatal through age 8) can lead the child to develop strong self-regulation”.

The document goes on to...

The second edition of the publication, International Standards on Drug Use Prevention, published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)  and the World Health Organization has been released. The document offers guidance for policymakers and global stakeholders interested in prevention and the implementation of drug prevention strategies. 

The publication touches on topics such as prevention science, policy, interventions targeting different stages of childhood development including prevention during pregnancy and within families, school based programmes, and prevention in...

A recent video produced by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration highlights the harmful consequences of underage and excessive alcohol consumption, and provides evidence-based strategies that can be used in a university setting. The video follows the efforts of Frostburg State University Alcohol Task Force - a group established to reduce underage, harmful campus drinking. The video describes Frostburg State University’s three-tiered strategy for addressing drinking issues within the university; in hope that action will promote student wellbeing and reduce the negative...

The Ninth EUSPR Conference and Members’ Meeting took place October 24th – 26th 2018, Lisbon, Portugal.

The focus of the event was Prevention Technologies – Improving the Use of Evidence in Prevention Practice. 

Academics, researchers, policy and decision makers, practitioners and prevention coordinators from around the world attended the event, which sought to open up a discussion about ways in which to introduce research findings into prevention policy and practice. 

Presentations from keynote speakers can be found here!