Purpose
Program 2000
Basis of Work

Resources
	Drug Information for the Americas (Regional Page )
	Statistical Sumaries
	Referential Databases
	Links

comparable statistics on the abuse and production of and trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, and thus provide an overall picture of the impact of the drug phenomenon in the Americas. A crucial task is to develop a cutting-edge methodology to integrate existing supply and demand data, in order to shed light on the reciprocal interaction between illicit traffic and the consumption of drugs in the hemisphere, and attempt to reconcile Western Hemisphere statistics with world-wide estimates. This can inform key decision-makers in the member states.  The potential return on investment in this area is high.

An attractive feature of the Observatory is that it will be pro-active in supporting countries as they:

• enhance their capacity to collect and analyze drug-related statistics, conduct surveys, carry out cross-disciplinary analyses of supply and demand data, and apply their research findings to policy and practice;

• examine the nature and extent of the drug problem in their countries and in the region as a whole, through the analysis of trends in drug use and drug trafficking patterns, and thus

• draw conclusions about the effectiveness of drug control and drug abuse prevention and treatment programs.

• improve their capabilities for collecting, organizing and disseminating drug-related information, documents, books, etc. to support their national programs and the MEM.

The Observatory is an umbrella for and catalyst of national and inter-American drug research efforts, with the goal of building an inter-American community of knowledge and science on the drug problem, and providing a forum in which researchers can learn from each other through the exchange of policy-relevant data and documentation.  Administered by the Executive Secretariat of CICAD in partnership with national statistics and information focal points (national “Observatories on Drugs”), it builds on and expands the work already done by the member states and CICAD over the past ten years in drug-related information and statistics.[1]  The Inter-American Data Bank on Drugs and the Inter-American Drug Information System (IADIS) have been subsumed under the umbrella of the Observatory, as has CICAD’s electronic information vehicle for the National Drug Commissions (formerly known as RETCOD/NDCs).

The Observatory supports hemispheric policy and cooperation by examining the crucial nexus of supply and demand within the hemisphere and vis-à-vis other regions of the world. Its statistical programs provide the underpinnings for the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) indicators. The Observatory’s information section assists in providing INTERNET-based communications and a means for the electronic storage and retrieval of  documents.

It has the potential to serve as an early warning system on the appearance of new drugs, new methods of using and manufacturing drugs, and changing trafficking patterns.