Presenting the findings of a five year project studying the pace and impact of addictions in Europe, this work deconstructs the failures and promises of European governance polices for reducing the harm done by legal and illegal drugs and posits a nine point plan as a way forward to redesign addictions governance

Presenting the findings of a five year project studying the pace and impact of addictions in Europe, this work deconstructs the failures and promises of European governance polices for reducing the harm done by legal and illegal drugs and posits a nine point plan as a way forward to redesign addictions governance

Why is governance of addiction so difficult? What can we learn from recent experiences and efforts in Europe? Governance of Addictions analyses the multidisciplinary research which has been used as a framework for understanding how governments formulate and implement addiction policies in 27 European Union member states plus Norway, looking in detail at four substances: heroin, cannabis, alcohol and tobacco. Presenting the methodological design for the study research, this book comprehensively analysing international trends, with a special focus on the role of the EU and its governance of addictions modes, this volume sheds light on the current situation of the governance of addictive substances and behaviours and facilitate new approaches to dealing with addiction. Based on the research from ALICE RAP (Addiction and Lifestyles in Contemporary Europe, Reframing Addictions Project), a unique project studying the place of addictive substances and behaviours in contemporary European society, Governance of Addictions is essential reading for policy-makers, public managers, practitioner and stakeholders influencing policy for addictive substances and behaviours, as well as academics and public health professionals.

Impact of Addictive Substances and Behaviours on Individual and Societal Well-being outlines an innovative and fascinating new framework for understanding the harm that addictive substances and behaviours can cause. Taking a holistic approach and with well-being as a central tenet, it demonstrates how using different methods can lead to a more just and evidence-based approach to dealing with addictions. Presenting the latest and most comprehensive research, the expert team of authors examines the harm caused by addictive substances and behaviour, factors that contribute to addictions, and current European approaches to governing addictive substances and behaviours. It is both legal and illegal drugs, and behaviour that cause harm. For the world as a whole, cigarettes were the second largest cause of ill health and early death in 2010, alcohol the fifth, and illegal drugs the eighteenth. Regular and sustained heavy engagement in addictive substances and behaviour also impacts on quality of life and material living conditions. The well-being framework outlined here for understanding this impact places particular emphasis on the reciprocal relationship between well-being and drug use: well-being can be a driver of the heavy use of addictive substances and behaviours, and also compounds the harm done. Furthermore, the response of society can increase the harm caused by drug use, and stigma, social exclusion, and the actions of the criminal justice system can impair individual and societal well-being considerably. Impact of Addictive Substances and Behaviours on Individual and Societal Well-being is based on the research from ALICE RAP, a multidisciplinary European study of addictive substances and behaviours in contemporary society. A timely addition to the field, this book is essential reading for those wanting to make a real impact in the field of addiction prevention policy, including public managers, practitioners, public health professionals, and stakeholders influencing policy for addictive substances and behaviours, as well as academics.

Concepts of Addictive Substances and Behaviours across Time and Place presents fascinating new historical and social scientific research examining the temporal and spatial variations in the ways that addiction problems are understood and addressed in European societies. The book illustrates the changing and versatile nature of language use, of stakeholders concepts and ideas, and of the popular, professional and political discourse around addiction. The arguments that unfold concern the various cultural components invested in the ways in which the problems are viewed and addressed. A framework is presented for discussing these circumstances in view of current knowledge-based governance at a local, regional and global level. Concepts of Addictive Substances and Behaviours across Time and Place is based on research from ALICE RAP (Addiction and Lifestyles in Contemporary Europe, Reframing Addictions Project), a multidisciplinary European study of addictive substances, and behaviours in contemporary society. This is an essential resource for public health professionals, stakeholders influencing policy for addictive substances and behaviours, students, and academics looking to better understand the historical and geographical variations of addictive behaviours across in Europe and the role of stakeholder involvement in the construction of addiction prevention policy.

This study presents comparative, multi-disciplinary research (including public management, health, political science, sociology, economics, and law) that develops an explanatory framework for understanding how governments formulate and implement addiction policies in Europe. Through an in-depth analysis of the twenty-seven EU member states, plus Norway, it presents four European models and visions of governance of addictions, based on two axes, strategy and structure. For this purpose, four substances are taken into account - heroin, cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco.