Paul Griffiths and Roland Simon

1. Wrap-up presentation What has the EMCDDA learned ? Paul Griffiths and Roland Simon

2. Overview • Taking forward the findings • 3-year work programme • Conference proceedings • Identify concrete issues for EMCDDA’s future work • Roland Simon: policies and practices • Paul Griffiths: trends and horizons • Michael Farrell: scientific challenges

3. Approach • Identify transversal findings that have direct relevance to our work • Explore how we might take them forward and suggest some concrete next steps • Not a comprehensive review of all the presentations made during the last three days

4. .. a personal impression • Big variety of presenters and presentations • Opportunity for networking • Exchange between different groups working with the EMCDDA • Scientific staff appreciated the opportunity to listen, learn, and discuss with you

5. Policy • Strong commitment to evidence-driven policies • Difficult to achieve • Policy has shifting priorities • Growing interest in evaluation of effectiveness • Different perspectives at national, EU and UN level, but also increasing commonalities and a wish to learn from the experiences of others • Policy makers call for • Solution oriented information • Methods which allow to better understand the impact of drug policies

6. Policy: Implications for the EMCDDA • Promote coordination between national, EU and international reporting system • Develop reporting practices to better inform policy processes (timeliness, topics, format) • EU action plan on drugs • Evaluation of national drug strategies • Moving from description to analysis • Developing tools and methods for • policy analysis and evaluation • comparative analysis of drug policies and laws • supply reduction issues

7. Practices • In many areas a growing understanding of what works • Commitment to evidence-based practice, challenged by difficulties in transferring knowledge into actions • Different approaches to define evidence • Need to avoid duplication of efforts and make best use of international and national investments • Bring together different types of knowledge, be sensitive to national contexts, and involve stakeholders

8. Practices: Parallel sessions • Prevention, treatment and harm reduction • Sensitive to different needs • Matching responses to the settings • Develop novel approaches, including for non-opiate users and poly-drug use • Increased focus on outcome and recovery • Interventions related to supply reduction and the criminal justice system • Data sources often poorly developed • Need to better know what works • Growing awareness of importance of the prison setting • Clear need for research

9. Practices: Implications for the EMCDDA • Strengthen our role as platform for knowledge exchange • Making better use of expert networks • Developing the best practice portal • Support the development of EU guidelines based on national and international experiences • Identification, critical evaluation and reporting on novel approaches • Developing conceptual frameworks and tools for data collection in the fields of supply reduction and criminal justice

10. Summary: Policies and practices • A unique position to inform policy making and support the development of drug-related interventions in Europe • Further develop as a platform for knowledge exchange • Key challenges are to produce knowledge tailored to the needs of our different audiences and to cover those areas which have received only limited attention until now

11. Trends & Horizons • Covered a incredibly diverse and complex set of themes • Monitoring issues were often implicit rather than explicit… but always there • And… despite the diversity of topics covered we kept coming back to some fundamental & common issues

12. Trends • Multi-methods approaches, sensitivity and timeliness are common issues for drug monitoring systems • Learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the EU system by looking at the US and Australia • Value in working together • Process and sustainable structures are critically important • Combining different types of information (qualitative/ quantitative) and levels of analysis (local/national/Int.), remains a key challenge

13. Trends: Parallel sessions • Hitting a moving target • New drugs, new suppliers • Blurred lines between medicinal products, legitimate goods and illicit substances • Increasing potential exists to track changes over time • Understanding problems and consequences • Differentiation of patterns of use to better understand drug problems • New data sources and new analytical approaches • The need for monitoring to be based on a better overall understanding of drug-related mortality and morbidity and the factors that influence them

14. Trends: Parallel sessions (2) • Understanding drug production, trafficking, and availability • Europe as drug producer • Holistic approach to a dynamic marketplace • Old drugs may prove to be new threats • Information in this area has considerable potential to inform our understanding – but clearly requires development • Methods, comparability, availability, reliability… all problematic

15. Trends: Implications for the EMCDDA • Maximize the analytical value of the available information • New sources and approaches to improve sensitivity • Develop capacity to respond more rapidly to critical information needs • Need to develop further our approach to monitoring & analysis of patterns of use and consequences (problems, dependence, mortality) • Develop and strengthen drug market indicators

16. Horizons: Implications for the EMCDDA • Need to keep track of technology developments • Overviews • Adjustment of monitoring tools to keep them on target • Improving our interaction with the European research community • As data provider, user and disseminator • Language issues • Drug use in neighbouring countries • Knowledge transfer and capacity building • Putting Europe’s drug situation in context

17. Final thoughts • Considerable information resources in the EU • Ongoing endeavour… a glass half empty or half full • Has to produce useful and relevant outputs • Synergies between the conference debate and the EU Drug Action Plan • Sustaining the existing system during a time of financial difficulties • Improving sensitivity to change whilst remaining non-alarmist and reliable • Probably should do this again before 2024

18. Thank you