Responsible for 20% of causes of death and 50% of crimes, addictions constitute a major health and public safety problem which concerns almost all families, from near or far, as well as the whole of civil society. Contemporary addictions have many facets: beyond problems related to alcohol, heroin or cocaine, we must now include: excessive consumption among young people (cannabis, "binge drinking", etc.), emergence of new synthetic drugs, addictive behavior in companies and addiction without product (gambling, internet, sex, compulsive shopping, etc.). The attention paid to addiction issues and scientific data have progressed considerably and have allowed the emergence and development of Addictology.
In the last 20 years, emphasis has been placed on clinical knowledge and definitions, in the understanding of neurobiological mechanisms, in epidemiological and sociological data, in the handling of new therapies. But the information and training of medical, social and educational personnel confronted with addictions can and must be developed. Indeed, due to the recent emergence of addictology as a scientific discipline, its teaching is still very disparate and often insufficient.
This MOOC was designed by teachers from the Faculty of Medicine of Paris Saclay University and those from the National University College of Addictology Teachers.
It has benefited from the support of the interministerial mission for the fight against drugs and addictive behavior (MILDECA: www.drogues.gouv.fr), the University of Paris-Saclay, the Actions Addictions Fund and the French Federation of Addictology
