SAMSHA: Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders (2021)

This Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) reviews what is currently known about treating the medical, psychiatric, and SUD-related problems associated with the use of cocaine and methamphetamine (MA) and the misuse of prescribed stimulants (such as those for the treatment of attention defcit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]). Read more

#ScaleUP initiative

#ScaleUp is a new initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It builds on previous work and publications of UNODC, partner agencies and international researchers, such as the Discussion Paper on “Stimulant Use Disorders: Current Practices and Current Perspectives” (UNODC, 2019). This document calls for the scale up of effective psychosocial treatment, as well as increased research on pharmacological treatment options with a view to increase treatment engagement, treatment retention and effective treatment options for stimulant dependence. Read more

Online interventions and virtual day centres for young people who use drugs: potential for harm reduction?

The methodological part of the large-scale study on the psychosocial distress of young people in Slovenia focused on vulnerable young people who use drugs and explored the potential of online interventions in harm reduction programmes. Authors looked at the needs of young people who, at the time of the research, were attending a virtual Discord day centre hosted by the DrogArt NGO or were involved in the organisation’s other programmes. Authors explored young people’s knowledge of online interventions, their satisfaction with them and the opportunities they offer for harm reduction programmes. Read more

Hydra: Lessons from the world’s largest darknet market

Autors present a comprehensive description of Hydra, the largest darknet marketplace in the world until its shutdown in April 2022. Read more

mhGAP Intervention Guide

Mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders are highly prevalent, accounting for a large burden of disease and disability globally. There remains a wide gap between available health systems capacity and resources, what is urgently needed, and what is available to reduce the burden. Nearly 1 in 10 people have a mental health disorder, but only 1% of the global health workforce provides mental health care. MNS disorders interfere, in substantial ways, with the ability of children to learn and the ability of adults to function in families, at work, and in society at large. Read more

WHO Classification of digital interventions, services and applications in health

The WHO Classification of digital interventions, services and applications in health (CDISAH) categorizes the different ways in which digital health interventions used in digital applications and services are used to address individual and health sector needs and advance health goals. Read more

UNODC Synthetic Drug Strategy 2021-2025

Synthetic drug manufacture can occur anywhere depending on human creativity and the availability of a few strategic chemicals. Read more

WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025

The purpose for a Global Strategy on Digital Health is to promote healthy lives and wellbeing for everyone, everywhere, at all ages. To deliver its potential, national or regional Digital Health initiatives must be guided by a robust Strategy that integrates financial, organizational, human and technological resources. Read more

Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) developed this Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder to provide evidence-based strategies and standards of care for the treatment of stimulant use disorders (StUDs), stimulant intoxication, and stimulant withdrawal, as well as secondary and tertiary prevention of harms associated with stimulant use. Read more

The Impact of Shutdowns of Dark Net Marketplaces on Street Crime

The Dark Net has changed the way drugs are traded globally by shifting trade away from the streets and onto the web. In this paper, author studies whether the shutdown of Dark Net marketplaces has an impact on the amount of drugs traded in the streets and on crimes that are normally associated to street drug dealing. Read more