Author: D. Thanki, J. Matias, P. Griffiths, A. Noor, D. Olszewski, R. Simon and J. Vicente (EMCDDA)

This report brings together, for the first time in Europe, an integrated overview of the prevalence of intensive cannabis use. Cannabis use is relatively common in the European Union (EU) and Norway, with around 23 million people (6.8 % of all 15- to 64-year-olds) having used the drug in the past year and about 12 million (3.6 % of all 15- to 64-year-olds) in the last month. Although the prevalence of last-year cannabis use among the general population is generally stable or decreasing in many countries, demands for treatment in which cannabis is the primary drug continue to rise, indicating a possible increase in related problems.

Author: Eleanor Winpenny, Sunil Patil, Marc Elliott, Lidia Villalba van Dijk, Saba Hinrichs, Theresa Marteau and Ellen Nolte (Rand Europe)

Evidence strongly suggests that alcohol advertising will increase the likelihood that adolescents will start to drink alcohol at a young age and may increase alcohol use among those who already consume alcohol.
It is against this background that the European Commission Health and Consumer Directorate-General (DG SANCO), by way of the EAHC, commissioned RAND Europe to carry out an assessment of young people’s exposure to alcohol marketing through television and online media. The overall aim of the work presented in this report was to use novel approaches to measure alcohol advertisement exposure among young people in Europe through audiovisual and online media.

Author: European Comission

On 23 October 2012, the European Commission adopted the Communication “Towards a comprehensive European framework on online gambling”. Based on an in-depth public consultation, this Communication sets out an action plan which is seeking to enhance clarity throughout the EU for the benefit of national authorities, operators, consumers and related industry such as payment service or media service providers.

Author: EMCDDA

EMCDDA raised concerns over complex stimulant market and plethora of powders and pills in its 2012 anual report. According to this report, Europe is faced with an increasingly complex stimulant market, in which consumers are confronted with a wide variety of powders and pills.
The report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe presents the EMCDDA's yearly overview of the drug phenomenon. Published every autumn, the report contains non-confidential data supported by an extensive range of figures.

Author: Dimiter Toshkov (Leiden University)

Policy-making is embedded in politics, but an increasing number of issues, like obesity, tobacco control, or road safety, do not map well on the major dimensions of political conflict. This article analyzes the enactment of restrictions on smoking in bars and restaurants in 29 European countries – a conflictual issue which does not fit easily traditional party ideologies. Indeed, the comparative empirical analyses demonstrate that government ideological positions are not associated with the strictness and the timing of adoption of the smoking bans. On the other hand, economic factors like the scale of tobacco production in a country, smoking prevalence in society and public support for tough anti-smoking policy are all significantly related to the time it takes for a country to adopt smoking bans, and to the comprehensiveness and enforcement of these restrictions.