Gregorio Barrio

INTRODUCTION In Europe, overdose deaths have been historically dominated by heroin, followed by cocaine-related fatalities, although the population of people who inject drugs (PWID) is declining and aging [1-6]. This trend may partly reflect the long-term impact of harm reduction services, opioid substitution therapies and the treatment of injection-related infections, which have likely contributed to moderating mortality [7-9].

INTRODUCTION In Europe, overdose deaths have been historically dominated by heroin, followed by cocaine-related fatalities, although the population of people who inject drugs (PWID) is declining and aging [1-6]. This trend may partly reflect the long-term impact of harm reduction services, opioid substitution therapies and the treatment of injection-related infections, which have likely contributed to moderating mortality [7-9].

Abstract Background and aims Alcohol-related mortality risk is almost always greater in lower than higher socioeconomic positions (SEPs). There is little information on the evolution of this SEP gradient and its relationship with the economic cycle. Some results suggest that during economic expansions there is a hypersensitivity of low-SEP people to harmful drinking.