Cited from article by Danica Klempová and Julián Vicente in Drugnet Europe No. 62, April–June 2008

The EMCDDA’s key indicator on drug-related deaths collects information predominantly on drug-induced deaths (also described as poisonings or fatal overdoses). … Several causes of death, besides fatal overdose, are found to be considerably higher in problem drug users than among their peers. These include diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, liver disease); trauma (e.g. accidents, homicide) and suicide. It was estimated that in the 1990s and early 2000s, 10–20 % of mortality among young adults in several European cities studied could be attributed, directly or indirectly, to opioid use.

 

Two innovative approaches, applied to date in only a few studies, involve estimating the total burden of mortality related to drugs by:

·       applying the information from cohort studies to national estimates of the prevalence of problem drug use; or

·       estimating drug-attributable fractions and applying them to general mortality registries.

 

Using these methods, the EMCDDA launched a project with Czech experts in 2007 to analyse data availability and the methodological possibilities for estimating the overall mortality of problem drug users in the EU. The project, running until the end of the year, will culminate in a report that will provide the basis for possible work on this issue at EU level in the future.

 

 

Cited from article byJennifer Hillebrand in Drugnet Europe, No. 62, April–June 2008

The EMCDDA has launched the first version of its Internet portal on best practice in the fields of drug-related prevention, treatment, harm reduction and social reintegration. …The portal project was conceived to meet the needs of professionals, policy-makers and researchers. It offers an array of tools and standards designed to improve the quality of interventions and highlight examples of evaluated practice across Europe. Also available are links to further information sources and a glossary to help guide the user through the portal.

 

The portal is divided into four sections:evidence of efficacy;tools for evaluating practices;standards and guidelines for the implementation of practices; andexamples of evaluated practices (Exchange on Drug Demand Reduction Action — EDDRA).

 

Evidence of how interventions work in real-life conditions can be found in the new edition of the EDDRA databank, now available through the portal. … EDDRA is primarily designed to help professionals and policy-makers plan and implement interventions in response to drugs. The databank features examples of evaluated interventions in different countries and settings, thus helping to generate evidence of efficacy of demand reduction projects.

 

Visit the EMCDDA best practice portal at www.emcdda.europa.eu/themes/best-practice