Abstract: The aim of this article is to identify which aspects of drug treatment are most closely associated with recovering drug users’ ability to obtain paid employment. Based on a cohort study of 1033 individuals, this article reports on a logistic regression analysis of the factors associated with the achievement of paid employment 33 months after the initiation of treatment for drug dependency. While the results show a close relationship between the cessation of illegal drug use and individuals’ ability to obtain paid employment, they also show that abstaining from drug use is unlikely to be successful on its own. The factor that showed the strongest independent association with the achievement of paid employment was the receipt of employment-related assistance. The study’s findings are, therefore, strongly supportive of the provision of employment support programmes as the most important mechanism for helping recovering drug users to obtain employment.

Abstract: The 2013-15 strategy and work programme is the third one since the EMCDDA’s recast Regulation in 2006. It is built around three top-level commitments: (a) providing a relevant, timely and responsive analysis of the drug situation; (b) efficiency: deriving maximum value from activities and investments; (c) communication and a customer-orientated approach. The bedrock on which this three-year strategy and work plan rests is the recognition that the achievements the agency has made since its inception have been delivered by maintaining clarity of purpose, technical rigour and a long-term vision.

Abstract: The 2010 work programme is the first to fall under the EMCDDA’s new three-year strategy and work programme (2010–12). In terms of substantive technical activities, the three-year strategy aims to consolidate the core data sets held by the agency and enable more complex analysis of them. It also scales up and develops some new areas of strategic importance. This means that 2010 will necessarily be a formative and exploratory year during which the structures and approaches needed to deliver the objectives set out in the work programme are put in place.

Abstract: The “war on drugs” and its prohibitionist, punitive strategy have failed to solve America’s drug problem. In fact, they bear much of the blame for drug-related crime, epidemic use of crack cocaine and the spread of aids through dirty syringes. Washington must begin developing policy that seeks first to reduce the harm drugs do users and society. Officials need only look at successful innovations in Europe and Australia like needle exchange, addiction treatment and supervised maintenance, and decriminalization. Public health rather than politics should be paramount.

Abstract: Ten years ago, Portugal launched an experiment that few countries had dared to try: the decriminalization of drug possession and use, including for drugs labelled by some countries as “hard,” such as cocaine and heroin. These changes to Portugal’s drug law and national policy have marked a turning point for the country and a milestone in international drug policy. Instead of seeking to diminish use by punishing users, the new measures consider drugs illegal but no longer treat drug consumption as a criminal offense. The changes are also particularly significant for Portugal, a conservative country marked by a history of fascistic governments and a Catholic Church that has a powerful influence on politics and social life. Portugal’s reforms have not been limited to treating drug possession as an administrative offense; they also include a wide range of measures such as prevention and social education, discouraging people from further use of controlled substances, harm reduction, treatment for drug dependent people, and assistance in reintegrating them into society. Contrary to initial concerns regarding Portugal’s new strategy, studies have shown that the number of drug users has not risen dramatically, and has even fallen in certain categories. In addition, the number of people with drug-related diseases (such as HIV and hepatitis B or C) has decreased overall. According to Portuguese and international experts, these positive trends are rooted in a drug policy that offers treatment to people who are drug-dependent, instead of treating them like criminals. Levels of drug consumption in Portugal are currently among the lowest in the European Union. Although new policy activities are often subject to internal debates and disputes, mainly concerning economic costs, the policy of decriminalization and the philosophy behind it have not given rise to any real controversy. They are based on a consensus among politicians and Portuguese society as a whole. The effects of Portugal’s experiment with drug policy have been corroborated by research, and the Portuguese people’s reactions to it have been verified by reliable surveys; this experience can and should be a lesson for a world caught up in a failed “war on drugs.” The innovative nature of the Portuguese approach proves that it is not generals, police officers, or criminal court judges, but rather doctors, social workers, and researchers who need to address drug-related issues.