This policy brief outlines key findings from a three-year epidemiological study by the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU). Regionally, cannabis is the leading cause of treatment for substance use disorder and dominates the list of seizures of illicit substances. The report also highlights the proliferation of pharmaceutical opioids and other new psychoactive substances, along with inadequate drug prevention and treatment services, posing multi-dimensional challenges to public healthcare, educational, economic, and criminal justice systems.
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