- The objective of this program is to create or strengthen drug information networks (DINs) for long-term monitoring of the demand and supply of illicit drugs, including synthetic drugs and other emerging drugs in Latin American and Caribbean countries.
- To this end, technical assistance will be provided through virtual and in-person training focused on developing national DINs, support for implementing standard CICAD indicators for DINs, and capacity building for monitoring synthetic and other emerging drugs.
This project was developed to address a glaring need to improve the capacity of OAS Member states to generate, collect, analyze, and utilize drug information to inform their anti-drug policies and programs. A quick look at the data available indicates that every country has some information on drugs, but only a minority have the capacity to collect it, organize it and report it in a consistent and coherent fashion. With the assistance of the DINs project, countries such as Barbados, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago have improved significantly to the point where they are publishing annual DIN reports on their own without external assistance. Several other countries are at various stages of development and need support tailored to their specific situations. With the guidance of the findings from the most recent round of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) as well as other sources of information, this phase of the project will be able to focus on the specific needs of those countries that have capacity and resource challenges in order to provide the support that they need. This support will build capacity in member states to allow them to increase the availability of drug-related data and information and develop or maintain drug information networks. The following publications show some of the key outputs of this program.
- Published Standard Indicators for national drug information networks for Latin American and Caribbean countries.
- Trained Personnel from national drug observatories in all OAS member states have participated in sensitization sessions on DINs.
- Supported the development of DINs in several Caribbean and Central American Countries such as Barbados, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago, that are currently self-sustaining.
- Implement training events for personnel in participating countries on how to implement national drug information networks (DINs).
- Provide technical support for data collection, analysis, technical writing, and coordination.
- Provide Support for national workshops, seminars and policy meetings, and annual DIN stakeholder publications and meetings
- Provide support for horizontal cooperation and local expert support. This allows individuals in more advanced member states with the right experience and technical skills to help their counterparts in other countries. This is a culturally appropriate and cost-effective way to enable countries to help themselves.
- Strengthened capacity for the detection of synthetic and other emerging drugs in LAC countries to have rapid and timely information for evidence-based decision-making and implement effective intervention programs.
- Improved routine collection of data, increased analysis, increased availability of up to date and reliable drug-related information in LAC countries.
- Increased availability of information of the production trafficking and use of synthetic drugs in LAC countries.
- Professionals and technicians in Latin American and Caribbean countries will be trained to generate rapid information on synthetic and other emerging drugs; authorities will have up-to-date, scientifically validated, and reliable information for decision-making on intervention programs needed to address the national problem of synthetic and other emerging drugs.
- Increased capacity by drug abuse prevention stakeholders to gather, identify, and incorporate evidence into their program design and planning.
- Improved communication between stakeholders involved in carrying out drug policies in participating member states.
- Increased capacity to incorporate up to date information on drugs, including synthetic drugs, into anti- drug policies and practice.
• Marya Hynes, Chief, Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) • MHynes [at] oas [dot] org (MHynes[at]oas[dot]org) / OID_CICAD [at] oas [dot] org (OID_CICAD[at]oas[dot]org) • https://www.oas.org/ext/en/main/oas/our-structure/gs/sms/cicad/interame…
