International alcohol conferences from 1885 onwards began a process of internationalisation in understanding the concept of addiction, but this influence declined as national differences and tensions between European countries became sharper in the 1930s.

Key words: internationalisation, addiction, concepts, temperance

Lead author(s): Edman

Cocaine, amphetamines and heroin are perceived by European citizens as the ‘addictions’ with the most severe consequences to society, whereas tobacco, despite being responsible for the largest share of premature deaths caused by addictive substances, is perceived as having one of the least severe impacts on society.

Key words: addictions, severity, popular perceptions, addictiveness

Lead author(s): Blomqvist

Imprisoned drug dealers reported that they aimed to sell mainly to regular customers and employed tactics to secure a stable customer base, including offering discounts, providing credit and even occasionally, offering  ‘freebies’ or ‘extras’ to regular customers.

Key words: suppliers, drug dealing, tactics, customer service

Lead author(s): Tzvetkova, Pardal, Disley

The addictions field is characterised by tensions between groups, by entrenched relationships between some addiction-specific stakeholder groups and powerful political stakeholders, and by the dominance of some forms of evidence over other forms of knowledge. Science and scientists are mainly influential in policy terms only if their scientific findings ‘fit’ with the wider political and economic context.

Key words: decision-making, stakeholders, influence, addiction policy

Lead author(s): Thom

More than 11 million people aged 18-64 years are alcohol dependent in Europe (EU+ Iceland+ Norway+ Switzerland), whereas more than 22 million qualify for an alcohol use disorder (AUD; i.e. alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse/harmful use)

Key words: monitoring, alcohol-attributable harm, dependence, heavy drinking

Lead author(s): Rehm