The 2024 National Drugs Forum was held in Croke Park in Dublin on 14 November. The theme of the forum was early warning on new drugs and emerging trends. The event provided an opportunity to learn about recently developed monitoring tools in Ireland and to get a sense of the types of information that can contribute to knowledge on emerging trends and support preparedness to deal with threats that might be unfamiliar. Previously experimental techniques, such as wastewater analysis, drug checking and testing, analysis of syringe residues, and online surveys are now part of Ireland’s early warning system. 

In the final quarter of 2024, the SAOL Project published two reports on the issues facing women in addiction who are also experiencing domestic violence. “They said they couldn’t take me because I was on drugs”: A report examining whether human rights are negated for women in addiction when accessing domestic violence support and refuge in Ireland was published in October 2024.1 The second report, Worthy of Love: An evaluation of the DAVINA project, was published in December.2

The 15th annual conference of the European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) was held in Cremona, Italy from 10 to 13 September 2024. The theme of the conference was ‘prevention in and with communities’. 

EUSPR

The EUSPR promotes the development of prevention science and its application to practice in order to promote human health and well-being through high-quality research, evidence-based interventions, policies, and practices.1