Authors: EMCDDA/Robert West

A better understanding of the complex science of ‘addiction’ can improve responses to drug problems. This report contains a critical review of existing addiction theories and explores how these can be organised into an overarching structure to inform how we assess, prevent and treat addictive behaviours. This model is not limited to illicit drugs, but can also be applied to alcohol, tobacco and even non-pharmacological addictions, such as gambling or compulsive use of the Internet.

Models of addiction delivers the message that understanding the biological basis of addiction, along with the broader social and psychological aspects of addictive behaviour, can lead to successful prevention and treatment responses.

Editeb by: David V. McQueen (IUHPE), Matthias Wismar (European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies), Vivian Lin (La Trobe University), Catherine M. Jones (International Union for Health Promotion and Education), Maggie Davies (Health Action Partnership International)

The recent Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health (WHO, 2011), adopted during the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health in October 2011, continues to highlight the importance of the work of global institutions to address HiAP, social determinants of health and governance. This book, produced by the WHO - Regional Office for Europe on behalf of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, in particular echoes and supports themes of the upcoming WHO health policy for Europe, the European Health 2020 policy framework, underscoring the importance of SDoH, HiAP and intersectoral governance (WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2012). These policy developments set the background for the issues to be addressed in this book.

Written by: Margaret Whitehead, Sue Povall, Belinda Loring

This guidance aims to support European policy-makers to improve the design and implementation of policies to reduce inequities in health. It brings together current evidence on how to develop comprehensive policy action plans to identify and address social determinants of health inequities. While great improvements have been made in health across the WHO European Region, there are still striking contrasts in the standards of health enjoyed by different countries within the Region and by different population groups within these countries. Reducing health inequities and improving governance for health and health equity are key strategic objectives of Health 2020 – the European policy framework for health and well-being endorsed by the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region in 2012. This guide seeks to assist European policy-makers in contributing to achieving the objectives of Health 2020 in a practical way. It draws on key evidence, including from the WHO Regional Office for Europe’s Review of social determinants and the health divide in the WHO European Region. It also provides a framework that policy-makers at national, regional and local levels can apply to their own unique context, in order to consider the processes by which inequities might occur, and to suggest policy interventions that may be helpful in addressing these factors.

Authors: Avalon de Bruijn, Esther van den Wildenberg and Anouk van den Broeck (STAP)

The following report provides a comprehensive overview of the results of the monitoring work conducted by the participating NGOs in five European countries; Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands. It summarizes the individual findings of the five European countries on four different topics in alcohol marketing: trends, volume, complaints and sports sponsoring.

This report is conducted as part of the Alcohol Marketing Monitoring in Europe (AMMIE) project. AMMIE is coordinated by the Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy (STAP) and supported by The European Centre for Monitoring Alcohol Marketing
(EUCAM).

Authors: Irmgard Eisenbach-Stangl (European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research) and Betsy Thom (Middlesex University)

Over recent years, media and policy attention has highlightened ‘binge’ drinking as a social problem which had spread across Europe. Viewed predominantly as a youth problem, the focus of concern has been on young people’s drinking and on the behaviours and harms associated with it in relation to public health, public safety and public order.
This emphasis has neglected examination of the wider issue of ‘intoxication’ and ‘intoxicated behaviours’. But to understand youthful binge drinking and associated behaviours, and to find ways of intervening to prevent or reduce harm, it is necessary to understand the prevailing concept(s) of acceptable and unacceptable forms of intoxication and intoxicated behaviours and its/their wider social and cultural determinants.