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European Research Area Network on Illicit Drugs - Towards integrated European research in illicit drugs: cause and nature of drug problems; interventions and policies

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The long road to combating illicit drugs in Europe

Better multidisciplinary and cross-border research into the distribution and consumption of illicit drugs will help European communities overcome this troubling social problem.

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Illicit drugs can destroy the lives of people and their families, in addition to promoting drug trafficking and taxing healthcare systems. The EU-funded ERANID (European Research Area Network on Illicit Drugs - Towards integrated European research in illicit drugs: Cause and nature of drug problems; interventions and policies) project is conducting cross-border research to address this challenge. It is focusing on specific issues such as demand and supply of illicit drugs in Europe as well as relevant policymaking. More specifically, the project team is conducting research in social sciences and humanities to enhance our understanding of how drug problems develop in society. It is looking at consumption, trends and drug markets to encourage better policies that will support vulnerable groups while addressing social deprivation, health inequalities and impact on communities. The project's work also involves evaluating the impact of public health measures as well as measuring the effectiveness of supply reduction programmes and measures. This is particularly important as a coherent longer-term research agenda on combating illicit drugs in Europe is missing. The availability of supporting material across Europe in languages other than English is also inadequate, as is access to research findings on the topic. In this sense, ERANID is providing a welcome opportunity to address these shortcomings and develop a common vision for research, funding research projects that emerge from this common vision. The project has therefore organised a call for proposals in 2015 and is preparing another one for 2016 in order to fund selected projects for addressing the problem of illicit drugs. It is also providing the most up-to-date knowledge and publications on recent and ongoing research projects for all stakeholders to use. Project members have already surveyed different EU countries on current policy documents and programmes regarding drug research. It documented efforts in all countries involved in the project and compared them to European Commission level, consolidating the results in a database that is accessible through the project website. Through enhanced collaboration among policy and research bodies, ERANID will result in better research capabilities to address the issue of illicit drugs. Less fragmentation, better research planning, more efficient use of resources and the most recent knowledge will all help in developing appropriate and effective drug policy measures. This is expected to translate to healthier and more drug-free societies within the EU.

Keywords

Illicit drugs, cross-border research, drug trafficking, healthcare, drug problems

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