Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The World Drug Report 2013 presents a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in drug markets, covering production, trafficking, consumption and related health consequences. This year's report contains new global data on the number of people who inject drugs and those who inject drugs and are also living with HIV, showing progress and setbacks during the 2008-2011 period.

Authors: Gunderson E, Kirkpatrick MG, Willing LM, Holstege CP

There is a growing concern about the availability of a new generation of “designer drug” stimulants that are marketed as “bath salts” and other household products. The products are not true bath salts and contain substituted cathinone stimulant substances, such as  ethylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and mephedrone. Calls to the American Association of Poison Control Centers regarding “bath salts” consumption began in 2010 and have continued since that time.

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.

Author: WHO - Regional Office for Europe

People in the WHO European Region consume the most alcohol per head in the world. In the European Union (EU), alcohol accounts for about 120 000 premature deaths per year: 1 in 7 in men and 1 in 13 in women.

Most countries in the Region have adopted policies, strategies and plans to reduce alcohol-related harm. In 2012, the WHO Regional Office for Europe collected information on alcohol consumption and related harm, and countries policy responses to contribute to the Global Information System for Alcohol and Health; this report presented a selection of the results for 35 countries – EU Member States and candidate countries, Norway and Switzerland – individually and in groups distinguished by their drinking patterns and traditions.

Full title: Vested interests in addiction research and policy. Why do we not see the corporate interests of the alcohol industry as clearly as we see those of the tobacco industry?

Author: Sally Casswell

The aim of this publication is to compare the current status of global alcohol corporations with tobacco in terms of their role in global governance and to document the process by which this difference has been achieved and the consequences for alcohol control policy.