Abstract: Focusing on European countries where amphetamine or methamphetamine is an important part of the drug problem, this Selected issue looks at the current situation in the light of the historical development of amphetamines use since the introduction of these substances as medicines in the 1930s. The history of amphetamines use is the result of an interplay of global forces, such as the spread of recreational drug use in the 1960s and the arrival of heroin on the European drug scene in the 1970s, and local events such as the rise of small-scale pervitin (methamphetamine) production in what was then Czechoslovakia. The outcome of this is that, in the present day, problem amphetamines use across Europe is marked by strong national characteristics, possibly more so than any other of the major illicit drugs.

Abstract: A collection of narratives from substance users in Europe about their attempts to control or reduce their consumption is released today by the EMCDDA. Entitled Users’ voices, the paper illustrates how qualitative research can provide glimpses into the experiences and perceptions of substance users that statistics alone cannot provide.Organization in 1986 (WHO, 1986). Quotations, gleaned from interviews with substance users in Europe, help to focus on their total needs by providing glimpses into the different ways individuals attempt to control or reduce their consumption of drugs or alcohol. This paper does not attempt to assess the relative efficacy of any specific drug or alcohol approach or intervention: its purpose is to highlight the fact that there is enormous heterogeneity in different individual experiences and the quotations used give voice to some of these very different experiences. In this way, quotations provide important insights and meaning into the figures on prevalence of drug use and treatment statistics.