In the decade 2002-2012 the number of drug-related deaths (DRDs) registered in Scotland increased and the rate of DRDs is higher than those seen in other parts of the UK.

The INCB report highlights that despite the progress made in some regions, approximately three quarters of the world’s population live in countries with inadequate or non-existent access to medicines containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, which leads to unnecessary pain and suffering.

The strict drug prohibition has not only failed to achieve its goals – it is fuelling poverty, undermining health, and failing some of the poorest and most marginalised communities worldwide.

Illicit use of methadone and buprenorphine involve risks but may also have important roles to play for users who are unwilling or not given the opportunity to enter OST.

This study published by The Lancet analyses how the availability of high potency cannabis in south London might have resulted in a greater proportion of first onset psychosis cases being attributed to cannabis use than in previous studies.

In offering harm reduction services for poor and marginalized women, it is clear that an understanding of trauma must be integrated. It is recommended that service providers integrate trauma-informed care into their programme in order to offer this service in a trusted environment.

The International Reporting Program traveled to Ukraine, Uganda and India to find out, and to document the human toll of the lack of access to morphine and pain treatment.

Clinicians weighing the benefits and risks of initiating different opioid regimens should consider not only the daily dose prescribed but also the duration of opioid action, favoring short-acting agents whenever possible, especially during the first 2 weeks of therapy.

The latest HRI report estimates around the response to drug-related HIV, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis, and integrates updated information on harm reduction services into each regional chapter.

This paper offers an overview of Myanmar’s current legal and policy framework related to drugs and outlines some international obligations and best practices.

Both parents and professionals tended to equate parenting support with managing drug dependence, rather than focusing on the wider, more holistic, factors. The parenting support agenda is largely overshadowed by the issue of ‘child protection’.

New treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) may be highly effective but are associated with substantial costs that may compel clinicians and patients to consider delaying treatment.

Botulism is an infection that is caused by the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum. Drugs can be contaminated with this bacterium at any point from being manufactured, during transportation when being cut with adulterants and during preparation for injection.

This report describes the current continuum of testing for HCV, which is complex and expensive, which means that it is very challenging to implement in resource-limited settings.

No comprehensively effective ‘gold-standard’ prevention and treatment interventions for crack abuse exist; so concerted research towards improved interventions is urgently needed.

While India’s harsh drug control laws conform strictly with prohibition, its regulated opium cultivation industry provides insights for countries that are experimenting with alternatives to prohibition.

More than 6 000 drug users die of overdose each year in the European Union, and most of these deaths occur among problem drug users and involve opioids.

This EMCDDA report explores how the speed with which the Internet is transforming drug markets poses a major challenge to law enforcement, public health, research and monitoring agencies.

This study highlights the importance of assessment for PD and AUD in OUD patients in order to identify individuals at substantially elevated mortality risk to enable a more personalised approach to their medical care.

Salvinorin A is a κ-opioid receptor agonist extracted from Salvia divinorum. It has demonstrated anti-addiction effects in animal models using psychostimulants by attenuating dopamine release, sensitization, and other neurochemical and behavioral alterations associated with acute and prolonged use of certain drugs.

The use of prescription opioid medications has increased greatly in the United States during the past two decades; in 2010, there were 16,651 opioid-related deaths.

This publication examines human rights violations - such as arbitrary detention - occurring as a consequence of drug control or enforcement efforts to control the illicit trade and consumption of certain drugs.

Scheduling ketamine will leave most rural areas of developing countries with no alternative anaesthetics for essential surgery, and will further deepen the already acute crisis of global surgery.

A Canadian case-control study published has reinforced previous concerns of a link between benzodiazepines and dementia, suggesting a more permanent impact.

This paper considers how naloxone — an effective antidote that can reverse opioid intoxication — combined with training in first aid for coping with an overdose for people who are not health professionals can help save lives.

The majority of adolescents entering substance use treatment also have psychiatric disorders, such as depression, ADHD and trauma-related problems. A new review proposes a combination of cognitive-behavioral and family therapies, may be an ideal treatment method for this patient population.

Drug dependence is frequent in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nevertheless, the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments in this population are unclear.

This study highlights five main consequences of the international drug control system, as well as opportunities for cooperation between law enforcement and health services.

The identification Substance use among older people is often difficult and is frequently missed, particularly in the primary care context and in emergency departments.

Recent years have seen a dramatic growth in the sale of a variety of illicit substances on Dark Net drug markets.