The decision at the Hague that opium, morphine, and cocaine and their use should be confined to “legitimate medical purposes” was central to future international drug control.

This article reviews patterns of drug use and associations with sexual behaviours in HIV-diagnosed MSM in the UK.

In an era of limited resources, HIV prevention, care, and treatment efforts need to focus on the smartest investments.This means investing in programmes that can have the greatest impact in halting HIV transmission and turning back the epidemic.

To get the life-saving drug naloxone to people at risk of overdose from prescription painkillers, US states are adopting decade-old tactics pioneered in heroin users in New Mexico.

Drug treatment providers should employ contingency management to promote adherence to vaccination programmes but the effectiveness of routine use to achieve long-term behaviour change remains unknown.

A high-level UN meeting on international drug policy came to a close last week with doctors lamenting on the lack of progress on health issues.

Although hepatitis C can be cured, it continues to be a major global health problem.

The intersection of unprotected sex and use of street and party drugs is likely to amplify the transmission of HIV, hepatitis C virus and STIs among men who have sex with men.

This article by The Lancet calls for the development of efficient strategies to reduce the burden of disease related to drug use.

Although a coordinated warning system for NPS is a welcome idea, the response must combine scientific evidence and a primary focus on maintaining health rather than a hasty move to proscription.