Information Needs for Effective Drug Policy: National Perspective

1. Information needs for policy-making — implications for monitoring and science. National perspective. Piotr Jabłoński National Bureau for Drug Prevention Poland “Identifying Europe’s Information needs for effective drug policy” EMCDDA, 6 – 8 May, Lisbon

2. Contents: • Legal grounds and the information system on drugs and drug addiction in Poland • Monitoring of National Programme and its evaluation • Limitations and achievements in the information system and taking effective informed measures. • Challenges and expectations in monitoring and evaluation

3. Drug prevention legislationin Poland • Acts of Law of 1997 and 2005 on counteracting drug addiction. (Reitox National Focal Point, Provincial Experts) • National Programmes for Counteracting Drug Addiction 1999 – 2001, 2002-2005, 2006 – 2010. (Monitoring at provincial and local levels) • Acts to establish the Council for Counteracting Drug Addiction (Team for monitoring the implementation of the NPCDA) • Two most recent programmes prepared to perform evaluation: indicators, sources of indicators • We still see a need for further improvement of the National Programme in order to better prepare the strategy for the purposes of evaluation.

4. 2006 - 2010 Reducing drug use and drug-related social and health problems Prevention: Stemming growth in drug demand 3 specific objectives Treatment, rehabilitation and harm reduction: Improvement of health condition and social functioning of drug addicts and persons using drugs in a harmful way 3 specific objectives Supply reduction: Reducing availability of drugs 5 specific objectives International cooperation: Supporting implementation of national programme through shaping international policy 3 specific objectives Research, monitoring and evaluation: Information support for implementation of national programme for counteracting drug addiction 3 specific objectives National Programme in line with European Strategy

5. Information system on drugs and drug addiction in Poland : • Reitox National Focal Point (established by National Bureau for Drug Prevention) cooperates with the following: • Research and Development Institutes (Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology; National Institute of Hygiene) • Central Institutions (Police Headquarters; Main Pharmaceutical Inspectorate) • Network of provincial experts (16 regions) • Network of local monitoring (under construction – approx. 40 communes). • Main task of NFP is to formulate conclusions and recommendations for practising professionals and authorities.

6. Network of provincial experts • Constant cooperation with NFP since 2001 • Annually 16 reports featuring conclusions and recommendations for regional authorities • Support for NFP in collecting data from communes on implementation of NPCDA. • New task – development of the local monitoring network

7. Evaluation based on annual monitoring of NPCDA implementation • Data collected from approx. 30 central institutions and over 2 500 communes and provincial offices. • Materials collected are analyzed and effects of monitoring are presented in the form of NPCDA implementation report • Consequently we obtain information on progress in specific programme activities and objectives • Crucial component of monitoring is collecting information on the cost of Programme implementation

8. Number of communes under Communal Programmes for Counteracting Drug Addiction or those which included drug addiction in local strategies for solving social problems in 2003-2007.

9. „Our job is not dictate drug policy but to provide the evidence necessary for informed decision-making” Wolfgang Goetz; EMCDDA Director

10. John Maynard Keynes: „There is nothing a government hates more than to be well informed; for it makes the process of arriving at decisions much more complicated and difficult (...)”.

11. Policy vs. practice • Reports, research and analyses do not always meet expectations of politicians, who expect clear answers to seemingly simple questions. • Basic question concerns effectiveness of measures taken, namely what the policy in effect brings about and what is the ratio of investment to output.

12. Needs and time perspectives Researchers work on obtaining objective and analytic knowledge. The analysis is based on reliable measurements viewed from long-term perspective. Political domain is mainly concentrated on ad hoc needs in a short-term perspective

13. Communication Research communication is based on open and objective language Political communication calls for synthesis and simplifications Research aims at comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon and its consequences Politics aims at making decisions and taking action It is necessary to find common communication platform

14. Difficulties and obstacles • Despite two editions of cost estimation projects, (2003 & 2007), evaluations and annual monitoring under NPCDA we are still looking for an answer to the question about effectiveness of the policy in place. • Evaluation still poses a challenge: • Information deficits • No political backup • Insufficient resources (methodology, experts) • Translation of results into clear message for the world of politics

15. NPCDA expenditure in 2003 – 2007 (PLN)

16. National strategy vs. evaluation • Numerical indicators of activities in progress and objectives achieved • Clear relationship between general objectives, specific objectives and activities. • Providing sources of indicators, which will result in quality data

17. Problem: Drug use No assertiveness in contact with drugs Tolerance for drug use in society Close friends use drugs Declared willingness to use drugs Low assessment of drug related-risk Disintegrated , passive local community Unfriendly school Deficiencies of life and social skills Low self-esteem Disrupted family relations Drug use – minor problem of organized crime of small group of addicted persons Drug use in schools, universities, workplace, public places Reduced public condemnation of using soft drugs No condemnation of drug use by others School failures Disobeying school rules No attachment to school Being not sure of getting help from school Disrupted communication between pupils and teachers No parents’ interest in child’s matters No communicative skills of family members No conflict-solving skills unclear family rules No parents’ faith in child’s abilities Low activity of youth No attractive forms of spending leaisure time No interests in pro-school and pro-youth actions No cooperation of young people with adults No knowledge of drugs and consequences of useing them No skills of Establishing and keeping contacts Cooperating in a group Solving conflicts Critical thinking Making decisions Coping with stress Planning future Information on drug use in public figures and circles Public visibility of proposals to legalize soft drugs Lower prices of drugs Engaging in risky behaviour (alcohol, cigarettes, violence) ) Higher drug purchasing capacity Media picture – focus on drug supply reduction Problem tree – risk factor areas

18. Reducing the use of drugs and drug-related problems limiting HIV and HCV infections and other diseases connected with the use of drugs; reducing the mortality rate from the use of drugs; reducing the speed at which the crime rate connected with the use of drugs is rising; reducing the speed at which the use of drugs is spreading maintaining an improved state of health in those people subject to treatment and rehabilitation. Checking the increase in drug smuggling on the internal market reducing the growth rate in the demand for drugs Limiting the accessibility of drugs Checking the increase in the domestic manufacture of illegal synthetic drugs and drugs manufactured from natural raw materials improve the quality of treatment, rehabilitation and activities to reduce damage to health . Limiting the accessibility of drugs to individual users Drawing up and implementing programmes to evaluate the services provided for treatment, rehabilitation and reducing damage to health Drawing up standards for providing treatment, procedures or rehabilitation and a programme for reducing amage to health Increasing the availability of services for the treatment, rehabilitation and reducing damage to health by developing specialist centres and programmes Supporting the development of professional programmes for preventing drug dependency addressed to specific target groups, Increasing the local community’s participation in preventing the use of psychoactive substances Monitoring the expenses of particular services in respect of counteracting drug-related crime Strengthening financial control over the narcobusiness Improved cooperation between specific services Improving people’s knowledge on the psychosocial conditions for drug dependency and effective strategies for taking preventive measures Increasing the number of competent people conducting preventive measures Implementing a system for training staff providing treatment, rehabilitation and programmes or reducing damage to health Increasing knowledge among the local community about problems relating to the use of psychotropic substances and the possibility of taking preventive measures

19. 100% 90% 80% beer 70% 60% vodka 50% 40% cigarettes 30% wine 20% drugs 10% 0% 1992 1994 1996 1999 2003 2008 Prevalence of substance use in school population CBOS Percentages of positive answers to the questions about smoking cigarettes (regularly and occasionally), drinking beer, wine and other strong alcohols in the last month prior to study and using any drugs in the last 12 months.

20. Percentages of pupils aged 17-18 who have used a specific substance at least once in their lifetimes ESPAD

21. New HIV infections, including IDUsin1999-2007 by date of registration(data of National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene)

22. Summary: • Positive changes on the Polish drug scene, which we relate to NPCDA implementation • Wide spectrum of data collected is a clear success of European and national monitoring systems • Need for analyses integrating data from various sources, i.e. measures to reduce both drug demand and supply • Conclusions and recommendations should meet the expectations of the world of politics but also support practising professionals and researchers. • Work over the methodology of evaluation and assessment of the effectiveness of activities in place is a challenge for the future and international and interagency cooperation.