STAGE 1. Assessing needs

What steps should be completed?

Step 1: Explore the magnitude, characteristics and consequences of drug use

INFORMATION GATHERING

What is the extent of the phenomenon and where is it located? Look for information to help you understand the magnitude of drug-related problems (number of people affected, number of episodes recorded, drugs used in the community, costs derived from the use of drugs, etc.) and where they are located (area, community, neighbourhood, etc.). The phenomenon of drug use is not isolated from the other health problems or social dynamics that occur in a region, so it also has repercussions in other areas, such as the level of violence or criminality, delinquency, social cohesion, etc. in the community.

Which population is affected by the problem? It is necessary to understand the extent to which drug use affects different sectors of the population (gender, age, socioeconomic status, etc.), the geographical and social origin of individuals with problematic use and the characteristics of the different forms of drug use.

What are the costs of drug use? This is not just about the financial cost of developing specific programmes to prevent and treat drug abuse, but also those arising from illegal drug-related activities, and the morbidity and mortality that affect people whose use is problematic, and the loss of productivity and potential years of life as a result of problematic drug use.

Is the problem getting worse? Is it getting better? The planner is more interested in data that reflect time trends rather than the situation at a particular moment. For example, the fact that a problem is worsening highlights the need to intervene.

What is causing the emergence of new drug use patterns? Drug use tends to change with time, so preventive and care interventions that were effective in the past may no longer be useful in the near future. A better understanding of the factors affecting changes in drug use patterns will help pre-empt new problems.