Abstract: Every year, several thousands of cocaine-related emergencies are reported in Europe, along with hundreds of cocaine-related deaths. The types of cocaine-related problems reported are wide ranging and the relatively high prevalence of cocaine use in the general population means that there is likely to be a significant impact on overall public health.

Abstract: Cannabis is Europe’s most commonly used illicit drug, with approximately 20 million adults, or around 6% of the population aged 15-64 years, having used the drug in the last year. An indication of the public health impact of the drug can be seen in the numbers entering specialised treatment in Europe for drugrelated problems, among whom cannabisis the second most frequently reported drug, after heroin. Against this backdrop, identifying the characteristics of frequentand high-risk cannabis users can help with the identification and design of interventions for those cannabis users most at risk of experiencing problems.

Abstract: EU drugs strategies and action plans direct collective action in the field of drugs both within the European Union and at international level. They do not impose legal obligations on EU Member States but promote a shared model with defined priorities, objectives, actions and metrics for measuring performance. Member States, and also some candidate and pre-accession countries, use this framework to develop their own national policy documents, which are increasingly synchronised with the EU strategy. They remain free to emphasise different national priorities within the overall framework of an integrated, balanced andevidence-based approach to the drugs problem.

Abstract: Synthetic cannabinoids, or more correctly, synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists, mimic the effect of cannabis and are the largest group of compounds monitored at European level by the EU Early warning system on new psychoactive substances (EWS). ’Legal high’ products containing synthetic cannabinoids have probably been sold as herbal smoking mixtures since at least 2006. These products do not necessarily contain tobacco or cannabis but when smoked, produce effects similar to those of cannabis. They have been subject to innovative marketing approaches and are widely available on the Internet and in some shops in urban areas (often called ’head’ or ’smart’ shops).

Abstract: The current number of problem opioid users in Europe can be estimated atabout 1.4 million, or 0.41 % of the adult population, with heroin being by far the most widely used opioid. Heroin use has developed along different timelines; several western European countries faced increases from the 1970s onward, whereas countries in Central and Eastern Europe saw a development in heroin use in the 1990s and later. Recent analyses of multiple indicators suggest that Europe may be witnessing a longer-term decline in heroin use, although countries show varying patterns and trends.