Estimating the Prevalence of Problem Drug Use in Europe

Abstract

This is a landmark publication on prevalence estimation theory and method in the European Union. The monograph – the result of collaboration between 30 scientific authors – explores the relationship between epidemiological work on the estimation of drug problems and the development of drug policy and strategy. The strengths and weaknesses of the most commonly used estimation techniques – such as case finding, capture–recapture, multiplier and nomination – are uncovered in the volume, as are the virtues of combining and comparing different methods in the estimation process. The monograph underlines the need to improve the quality of data on which prevalence estimates depend, and to complement these estimates with qualitative studies exploring other aspects of the drug situation beyond the statistics.