As of March 31, 1992, a cumulative total of 71,570 AIDS cases had been reported by 31 countries of the European Region of the World Health Organization. Of these, 33.7 percent are injecting drug users. this compares with an HIV prevalence rate of 41.3 percent among homosexual and bisexual men. Of all AIDS cases reported in 1984, 6.6 percent were identified among drug injectors. In 1986 this percentage had increased to 20.6 percent; in 1988 it had increased to 34.5 percent, reaching its peak of 38.2 percent in 1991. Several countries in Europe also reported that a substantial proportion (and in some cases the majority) of all pediatric cases of AIDS are known to be related to drug abuse. Many European countries have now established special public health measures aimed at reducing the spread of AIDS among drug users. These include education and outreach programs, making available sterile needles and syringes, the establishment of treatment approaches that address the immediate needs of drug users, special programs for high- risk subgroups of drug users, and training programs for health and welfare professionals. 1 table and 15 references