Pompidou Group - Combating drug abuse and drug trafficking

Research activities

Under the new work programme covering the period 2011-2014, research is undertaken by ad-hoc groups working on specific issues. The main objective is to identify effective approaches of coherent policies for licit and illicit drugs

The first project launched is dealing with the experiences on coherent and/or integrated policies for licit and illicit drugs, in particular with the comparison and policy effectiveness indicators of coherent drug policies. The aim of the integrated policy expert group is to reply to the questions ‘what are the best structures to reach coherent drug policies?’ and ‘which types of models could be used to test whether a coherent policy could reach the expected results’. The project is based on two previous studies, namely:

“From a policy on illegal drugs to a policy on psychoactive substances” - the 2008 overview on how drug policy is developed taking into account the national political context, the influence of international conventions and European strategies, the evolution of scientific evidence and treatment. This study provides elements of reply to the question whether it is better to implement a policy of integration of substances or a single policy for each of the substances.

“Towards an integrated policy on psychoactive substances: a theoretical and empirical analysis” - the 2010 publication builds upon the work of the overview and presents the scientific grounds for choosing between a separate policy for each substance and a single, "integrated" policy incorporating all substances. The question remained open, however, as to which structures and bodies can better serve single policies or an integrated policy for all substances.

These two publications were undertaken by the Research platform which in the work programme 2007-2010 superseded the first group of experts in epidemiology set up in Europe and which was active between 1982-2004 in developing data collection indicators and monitoring methodologies. The platform focused on the assessment of the impact of research on policy and on the development of evidence-based policy.

Register on Drug Research
The register, which was launched in January 2007, is an online networking tool for the research community an its partners, enabling them to enhance information exchange on who does what in drug research. Users can consult and submit information on projects pursued since 2005, whether completed or ongoing, calls for collaboration or for tenders, agencies and partners.

By creating an account, the user can:
- submit data (address, discipline, research institute);
- provide information on research projects (field, summary and documents describing the project, time-table, researchers involved, budget, funding agency);
- launch calls for collaboration aimed at other researchers or calls for tenders targeting researchers or research institutes;
- update their personal data, research projects or calls

suite Access to the register
suite Comments or suggestions: register-PG@coe.int
Co-operation with ESPAD
The Pompidou Group continues its support to the launched in 1993 initiative of CAN (The Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs) to start a collaborative research project on school surveys of alcohol and other drug use. It funds the participation of non EU experts in project coordination meetings, it facilitates the interpretation and use of these data and encourages stakeholders to participate in the implementation of ESPAD 2011 as a means to understand drug use among youth in Europe.
suite ESPAD Website

Pompidou Group supports report on drug use among European youth
A multi-national study of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs use amongst 15-16 year-old European students was released in March 2009 as part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), supported by the Pompidou Group.
suite Further information
suite Summary of the report (pdf format)
suite Full report
Co-operation with ESSD
The Pompidou Group has been supporting the activities of the European Society for Social Drug Research (ESSD) for several years. This financial support is offered towards the organisation of the ESSD annual conference and the publication of its annual book. In 2008, Pompidou Group also started to fund the organisation of a Summer School on qualitative drug research.

Annual conferences and books
The annual ESSD conferences consist of short presentations grouped by research areas and focussing on study designs and research methods, followed by discussion of all presentation. From these presentations, ESSD identifies one subject which is then presented in the annual book in form of a collection of articles.

suite All conferences

suite 2007: "Drugs in society: European perspectives"
suite 2008: "Cannabis in Europe: dynamics in perception, policy and markets"
suite 2009: "Old and new policies, theories, research methods and drug users across Europe"
suite 2010: "Pleasure, pain and profit - European perspectives on drugs"
suite 2011: "Markets, methods and messages: dynamics in European drug research"
suite 2012: "The meaning of high - Variations according to drug, set, setting and time"

Summer School on qualitative drug research
The aim of this course is to enable young researchers to expand their knowledge and abilities concerning qualitative drug research and provide them with some proficiency in communicating research findings to agencies and policy makers. The first two editions took place in Amsterdam in August 2008 and 2009.

Website
On 22 January 2009, the ESSD launched its official bilingual website (English and French). The translation into French was ensured by the Pompidou Group.

suite ESSD Website
Co-operation with the Mediterranean region
MESPAD
The Mediterranean School Survey Project on Alcohol an Other Drugs provides an insight into the drug use situation in non-European countries of the Mediterranean Region. In particular, it gathers information about young people’s attitudes and behaviour in relation to the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other substances. It has adapted the ESPAD methodology to the Mediterranean context. Pilot surveys explored methodological validity and actual school surveys have been carried out in Algiers and Rabat.

suite Article

MEDNET
suite More informations
Publications & Documents
The publications below are on sale on the Council of Europe online bookshop except those marked with a star.
For further information please contact us at pompidou.group@coe.int

suite From a policy on illegal drugs to a policy on psychoactive substances
Publishing date : 2008
ISBN : 978-92-871-6480-3
suite Pdf version

suite Drug treatment demand data - Influence on policy and practice
Publishing date : 2006
ISBN : 978-92-871-6086-7
suite Pdf version

suite * Research on Drugs and Drug Policy from a European Perspective
ISBN : 1-59326-078-4

suite Psychological drug research: current themes and future developments
Publishing date : 2006
ISBN : 978-92-871-6032-4
suite Pdf version

suite Biomedical research in the drugs field
Publishing date : 2006
ISBN : 978-92-871-6017-1
suite Pdf version

suite Connecting research, policy and practice - Lessons learned, challenges ahead - Proceedings, April 2004
Publishing date : 2004
ISBN : 978-92-871-5535-1

suite Drugs and drug dependence: linking research, policy and practice - Lessons learned, challenges ahead
Publishing date : 2004
ISBN : 978-92-871-5490-3


suite All documents of the Platform
suite All publications from Pompidou Group