Paul Griffiths and Roland Simon

Wrap-up presentation

What has the EMCDDA learned ?

• 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

Overview

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

.. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you