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 EMCDDA Drug policy profiles aim to describe some of the main characteristics of national drug policies in Europe and beyond. The profiles do not attempt to assess these policies, but instead outline their development and main features. The objective is to help readers — from researchers to policymakers — gain a better understanding of the way in which countries control drugs and respond to drug-related security, social and health problems. This first profile describes the national drug policy of Portugal, a policy that has attracted significant attention recently in the media and in policy debates. It considers national strategies and action plans, the legal context within which they operate and the public funds spent, or committed, to resource them. It also describes the political bodies and mechanisms set up to coordinate the response to the multi-faceted problem and the systems of evaluation that may help to improve future policy.

Abstract: Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug, however its effects on cognitive functions underling safe driving remain mostly unexplored. Our goal was to evaluate the impact of cannabis on the driving ability of occasional smokers, by investigating changes in the brain network involved in a tracking task. The subject characteristics, the percentage of D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in the joint, and the inhaled dose were in accordance with real-life conditions. Thirty-one male volunteers were enrolled in this study that includes clinical and toxicological aspects together with functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and measurements of psychomotor skills. The fMRI paradigm was based on a visuo-motor tracking task, alternating active tracking blocks with passive tracking viewing and rest condition. We show that cannabis smoking, even at low D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol blood concentrations, decreases psychomotor skills and alters the activity of the brain networks involved in cognition. The relative decrease of Blood Oxygen Level Dependent response (BOLD) after cannabis smoking in the anterior insula, dorsomedial thalamus, and striatum compared to placebo smoking suggests an alteration of the network involved in saliency detection. In addition, the decrease of BOLD response in the right superior parietal cortex and in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex indicates the involvement of the Control Executive network known to operate once the saliencies are identified. Furthermore, cannabis increases activity in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortices, suggesting an increase in self-oriented mental activity. Subjects are more attracted by intrapersonal stimuli (“self”) and fail to attend to task performance, leading to an insufficient allocation of task-orientedre sources and to sub-optimal performance. These effects correlate with the subjective feeling of confusion rather than with the blood level of D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol. These findings bolster the zero-tolerance policy adopted in several countries that prohibits the presence of any amount of drugs in blood while driving.

Abstract: Angebote zur Suchtprävention gehören heute zur Schule wie individuelle Förderung und Schülerorientierung. Das Land NRW bringt diesbezügliche Erlasse heraus und wissenschaftlich begleitete Evaluationen bescheinigen den Erfolg der präventiven Maßnahmen. Dennoch, oder gerade deswegen, steigt die Zahl der Erstkonsumenten weiter an. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellt das Konzept zur Drogenerziehung in Schulen der Sekundarstufe I eine Neuerung unter den schulischen Präventionskonzepten dar. Dabei werden Erkenntnisse der Forschung zur akzeptanzorientierten Drogenhilfe und der Allgemeindidaktik sowie Erfahrungen der Autorin als Mitarbeiterin der Drogenhilfe und Lehrerin miteinander verknüpft. Ziel des Konzeptes ist keine unrealistische Abstinenz, sondern ein selbstkontrollierter und gesundheitserhaltender Umgang mit Drogen.