This miniguide is one of a larger set, which together comprise Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide. It provides an overview of the most important aspects to consider when planning or delivering health and social responses for women who use drugs, and reviews the availability and effectiveness of the responses. It also considers implications for policy and practice.

Women make up approximately a quarter of all people with serious drug problems and around one-fifth of all entrants to drug treatment programmes in Europe. They are particularly likely to:

• experience stigma and economic disadvantage, and have less social support;
• come from families with substance use problems and have a substance-using partner;
• have children and be responsible for their care, which may play a central role in their drug use and recovery; and
• have experienced adverse childhood experiences, in particular sexual and physical assault and abuse, and have co-occurring mental disorders.

There are a range of sub-groups of women with drug problems that have specific needs. These sub-groups, which often overlap, include pregnant and parenting women; women involved in the sex trade; LGBTQIA+ women, women from migrant or ethnic minority backgrounds; and women in prison.