European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. (2015) EMCDDA general population survey presentations. In: General population surveys annual expert meeting, 17–18 June 2015, Lisbon.
External website: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/activities/expert-meet...
On 17 and 18 June 2014, the EMCDDA brought together forty-five European and international experts for a meeting on the key indicator Prevalence and patterns of drug use among the general population (GPS) (*). These regular meetings on the indicator change their focus from year to year. This year particular attention was given to cannabis and alcohol, in addition to new psychoactive substances (NPS) and psychoactive medicines.
Regarding cannabis, a multi-indicator analysis (prevalence, supply, consequences, treatment) was presented, and the monitoring of high risk cannabis use was analysed. Monitoring cannabis use, high risk cannabis use and resulting problems are currently top level policy issues, given the ongoing, rapid changes in cannabis regulation.
The EMCDDA — together with many experts — has developed guidelines to be released shortly which aim to improve the accuracy of estimations of high risk cannabis use using psychometric scales (in particular CAST). Prevention and interventions (when needed) around cannabis were not addressed in this year’s meeting, but they will be addressed in future meetings, as well as issues on cannabis markets and potency.
Attention was also given to instruments to measure alcohol use. EMCDDA is working closely with the RARHA Joint Action (Joint Action on Reducing Alcohol Related Harm) of the Health and Food Safety Directorate General (DG SANTE) of the European Commission to develop common instruments to measure alcohol use and problems. Attention was given to the monitoring of new psychoactive substances and psychoactive medicines. The EMCDDA has developed a module on NPS to be used on population surveys similar to the one used in ESPAD and the Eurobarometer, but some countries are still using different instruments. Measurement of psychoactive medicine use is particularly challenging, both because of their availability in the legal, illegal and grey markets (e.g. on-line pharmacies), and because differentiation between use and abuse could be very subjective in many cases.
(*) The EMCDDA key indicators are a broad domain of knowledge that address drug demand (prevalence and patterns of use in general population, prevalence and patterns of problem drug use, and treatment demand indicator (TDI)) and drug problems (drug-related deaths (DRD) and drug-related infectious diseases)
Presentations
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Session 1 —Setting the scene
- Prevalence and patterns update and main developments in GPS 2014 — Julián Vicente, EMCDDA
- Developments and progress in ESPAD — Björn Hibell
- Cannabis trends in the UK — Nicola Singleton, United Kingdom
- Cannabis Trends in the Czech Republic — Pavla Chomynová, Czech Republic
- Trend in drug use in Poland — Janusz Sieroslawski, Poland
- Session 2 — Recent national studies
- Session 3 — Neighbouring and Western Balkan Countries
- Session 4 — Frequent and high risk cannabis use
- Session 5 — Situation in Europe
- Session 6 — Methodological developments and new projects
- Session 7 — Alcohol measurement
- Session 8 - EMQ modules for New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and Psychoactive Medicines
- Psychoactive Substances
- Psychoactive Medicines
- Monitoring misuse of psychoactive medicines at the EMCDDA — Klaudia Palczak, EMCDDA
- Developments and progress in medicines use in Bulgaria — Momtchil Vassilev, Bulgaria
- Insight into the pharmaceuticals use in Croatia — Dijana Jerković, Croatia
- Misuse of benzodiazepines in Latvia — Ildze Redoviča, Latvia
A Substance use and dependence > Prevalence > Substance use behaviour > Alcohol consumption
B Substances > Cannabis / Marijuana
B Substances > Alcohol
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Health services, substance use research
VA Geographic area > Europe
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