Welcome to Module 1! This week's material starts by looking at seemingly simple questions such as : « what are drugs ? » and « why do people use drugs ? » It then addresses the question : « why are drug internationally controlled ? » As you will see the answer to this question constitutes one of the founding blocks of the rest of this course. You will learn what legal elements make up the international drug control framework and what that means for countries putting in place different drug policies around the world. Once you have finished this week, you will be able to: explain what drugs and controlled substances are; describe the main elements of the International Drug Control Framework and recognize the diversity of national drug policies under a unique International Drug Control Framework. We hope that you are prepared to work through the interesting and wide-ranging material we have prepared for you. We also encourage you to stop and answer as many of the in-video (or stand-alone) reflective questions we have placed throughout the week, and look forward to receiving any feedback you may have for us! Have a great first week learning about drugs and the international drug control framework! Best wishes,The Drugs, Drug Use, Drug Policy and Health team