Welcome to the Fifth Edition of the Observer News

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CONTENTS

Results from the Fifth National Study on Drugs in Chile Among Secondary School Students

First Class of the International On-line M.A.
in Addiction Studies Set to Graduate

The 80 members of first class of the CICAD-sponsored International Online Masters Degree program in Addiction Studies are set to graduate in September, 2004. This innovative, internet-based four-semester program was launched in October 2002 in cooperation with the National Distance Learning University of Spain (UNED). The students, all professionals, half of whom are women, are pursuing their degree from 48 cities in 19 countries in the Western Hemisphere, plus Spain. On April 27, OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria presided over a ceremony to honor the future graduates which was held during the CICAD Commission meeting at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. (photo). The individual degrees will be awarded by the university through which the student matriculated.

Secretary General Gaviria congratulates Dr. Yolanda Márquez from the Simón Rodríguez University (Venezuela), one of the founders of the MA online

In his remarks, Dr. Gaviria said “…It is important to note that this (program) is the OAS’s most important experience to date related to postgraduate education. New distance and virtual education technologies are enabling students, who otherwise would not have access to this level of education, to become specialized professionals...”

View Full Text in WORD or PDF (Spanish only)

News about CEDRO (Perú):
- Epidemiological Study 2003
- Cocaine Inventory
- Mobile Center

Drug Abuse Treatment Program Among Prison Inmates in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Special Edition of the Latin American Journal of Nursing

Estimating the Social and Economic Costs of Drug Consumption: Indirect Indicators

Concepts Underlying a Financial Intelligence Unit

CICAD's Accomplishments in the During the Last Decade

MARIHUANA CONSUMPTION FALLS AMONG CHILEAN SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHILE USE OF COCAINE AND COCA PASTE REMAINS STABLE

By Álvaro Ahumada San Martín, Chief of the Evaluation and Studies Section - CONACE
http://www.conacedrogas.cl/

Full Article in WORD or PDF

Among the main findings of the Chilean National Narcotics Control Council (CONACE) national drug survey for the 2001-2003 period was a decrease in marihuana use among students aged 13-17. Cocaine and coca paste, the other two most-consumed narcotics, saw very slight fluctuations in the percentage of users over the same two years.

Prevalence of consumption of any illegal drug according to victimization indicators
during the last year

ACTIVITIES AND NEWS FROM CEDRO

By Liubenka Obrenovich, Documentation Center, CEDRO

On June 26, CEDRO, the Lima-based NGO that works on drug prevention education, analysis and information issues, will complete its 18^th year of service to Peru. CEDRO disseminates its anti-drug message in alliance with public and private institutions, schools, universities, grassroots organizations, youth groups, churches, corporations, local governments, armed and police forces and national and international media. In 2004, world surfing champion Sofia Mulanovich will help communicate CEDRO’s drug prevention message.

The following are summaries of two published CEDRO studies, as well as article outlining a strategy for community drug prevention.

1) Drug Epidemiology in Peruvian Urban Populations in 2003

This 2003 epidemiological study of drug consumption, a continuation of CEDRO’s series of such studies compiled since 1987, covers residents age 12 to 64 living in 7 Peruvian cities.

See whole summary in Word and PDF (Spanish only)

2) The Truth About the Coca Leaf: A study based on direct sources of information

When speaking of the coca leaf, and especially its role in pre-Incan and Incan civilizations, most research has been contaminated by a heavy dose of “wishful thinking”—a strange mix of prejudice and departure from reality which has resulted in the publication of spurious data and studies of little scientific rigor.

This controversial issue, on which Peruvian society has not been able to agree, is addressed by Dr. Ramiro Castro de la Mata, a medical and pharmacology physician who is also a member of the National Academy of History. His book, co-edited by CEDRO and the National Academy, is entitled “Inventario de Coca”.

See whole summary in Word and PDF (Spanish only)

3) Mobile Center: A New Strategy for Community Prevention

CEDRO OFFERS PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING TO CHILDREN, YOUTH AND PARENTS

CEDRO has created a Mobile Dissemination Center aimed at promoting drug prevention programs and better life styles. Through its activities, CEDRO specialists can reach out and help prevent drug use in children, youth and teenagers living in high-risk areas.

See whole summary in Word and PDF (Spanish only)

To see up to date information on the drug situation in Peru, visit CEDRO’s website at http//www.cedro.org.pe This website receives 10,500 visits per month and offers a panoramic vision of the available resources on the topic of drugs.

SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES:
INTER-MINISTERIAL COLLABORATION WITH CIVIL SOCIETY TO TREAT
DRUG ABUSE AMONG PRISON INMATES PRIOR TO THEIR RELEASE

By Emily Holman, Demand Reduction, CICAD/OAS

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in partnership with CICAD as part of the MEM Assistance process, is now four months into a new drug addiction treatment program for male prisoners slated for release. The existence of the program itself is a great achievement, since everything was created through the creative re-deployment of existing human resources in the prison and other agencies. The program is generating a very positive response so far from other prisoners, family members in the community, and the agencies who are working cooperatively to support it.

From left to Right: Minister of National Security – Sir Vincent Beache, Interim Director of OAS Office Melene Glynn, General Governor of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sir Frederick Ballantyne and CICAD consultant Willie Anderson. Ministers of Health and Education were also present during the inaugural meeting on 16 January 2004, as well as the Prison Director and First Magistrate.

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in WORD or PDF

THE PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SAO PAULO NURSING SCHOOL AT RIBERAO PRETO PUBLISHES SPECIAL EDITION TO PRESENT RESEARCH RESULTS FROM HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TRAINING PROGRAM

By Gloria M. Wright, Ph.D –Project Coordinator, Demand Reduction, CICAD/OAS

The University of Sao Paulo Nursing School at Ribero Preto (USP/EE/RP) has published a special March/April supplement of its magazine (The Latin American Journal of Nursing) to present the results of 19 scientific studies on the subject of drugs. The studies were prepared by the participants of a training program for health professionals sponsored by CICAD and the Government of Japan.

The articles deal with a wide variety of drug issues and their relation to the nursing profession. Topics covered include: “The Role of Technical and Financial Cooperation in the Nursing Profession for Demand Reduction in Latin America: Challenges and Perspectives”; “Cooperation Between Universities and International Organizations to Train Nursing Faculty in Latin America on Researching the Drug Phenomenon”; “Protection Factors” and “Risk Factors”; “Perspectives on Tobacco and Alcohol”; “Legal and Illegal Drug Consumption”; “Use and Attitudes Among Drug Users”, “Work with Mind-Altering Drugs”, and “Family Violence”.

See articles in PDF (2MB)

The special edition can be found online in three languages: English, Portuguese and Spanish at: http://www.eerp.usp.br/rlaenf

ESTIMATING THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC COSTS OF DRUG CONSUMPTION:
INDIRECT INDICATORS

By Marya Hynes –OID/CICAD and
August Pérez Gómez –Robert Wood Johnson Medical School of NEW JERSEY

The following article is the first in a series to provide concrete examples of how the CICAD methodology to estimate the impact of drugs on society can be productively applied in the real world. Cost studies facilitate the formulation of drug policy based on scientific evidence through the application of measurable and comparable indicators to examine the impact of drugs on the different social sectors, such as health, justice, welfare, education, industry and the labor market. Once the data has been produced and analyzed, governments can take rational decisions on how best to target their scarce resources and reduce costs.

See complete article in Word and PDF

See the latest version of the Costs Manual - Word and PDF

CONCEPTS UNDERLYING A FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT

By Rodolfo Uribe, Project Coordinator
South American Financial Intelligence Units, OAS/CICAD/IDB

While Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) are still relatively new to many countries, and their experience limited, they are destined to play a key role in any concerted fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. We do know that the FIU’s success will depend on the tactical and operational strategies they follow and the domestic legal context and the transnational economic and criminal environment in which they operate.

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BRIEF SUMMARY OF CICAD'S ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE LAST DECADE

Over the past decade, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD/OAS) has been challenged to adapt to a rapidly changing drug enforcement and prevention environment. CICAD has significantly expanded its efforts to promote regional cooperation and coordination on drug issues and undertaken new directions in action programs to strengthen the capacity of individual member states to present and treat substance abuse, and to combat illegal drug production and trafficking. With broad reorganization and a growing partner base, CICAD has matured as a forum for candid discussion of drug issues, objective evaluation of progress, and targeted improvement of the hemispheric response to drug problems in the region.

See complete summary

This quarterly newsletter is published electronically and circulated to encourage discussion and comment. The findings, interpretations, judgments, and conclusions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author(s) and should not be attributed to CICAD/OAS.