INTER-AMERICAN DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEM (IADIS)

The purpose of the system is to strengthen the member States' capability to combat illegal drugs by means of cooperation and mutual assistance in the field of information in documentary form and as statistics. The Inter-American Program of Action of Rio de Janeiro specified two vital components of the Inter-American Drug Information System: the Inter-American Drug Documentation and Information Center (IADIC) and the Inter-American Data Bank (IADB). Later, at its first regular session, CICAD suggested the creation of a network of centers located in various countries of the hemisphere. It also recommended that uniform standards be developed for handling information at the regional level.

Inter-American Drug Documentation and Information Center (IADIC)

In 1994 the Center added more than 1,800 documents to its collection. It completed the computerized reference system for the bulk of the CICAD documents and provided services and information to government officials, researchers and police officials on such topics as money laundering, policies, alternative development, precursors and drug use. The number of users served was up approximately 10 percent over 1993. IADIC also conducted quality control activities in the area of institutional authorship to facilitate computerized retrieval. It also conducted a survey of its users to determine how satisfied they were with the services provided and to ascertain what their information needs were. Two editions of a directory were published, listing national institutions in the OAS member States whose function is to combat illegal drugs. Also produced were two installments of a service alerting users that have a particular interest in related topics.

Furthermore, the staff of IADIC provided instruction in two methodology courses and cooperated on technical activities involved in developing a database that will store information on drug-related legislation and treaties at the regional level.

Inter-American Data Bank

To establish common definitions and uniform systems and procedures for compiling, storing and analyzing data, CICAD established the pilot project titled "Uniform Drug Statistics System", which not only feeds the data bank but also standardizes criteria, definitions and statistical procedures, making it possible to develop national data systems in the member States.

  1. Supply area (control)

    • Following approval of the statistical standards for the control area, a program was designed with a view to achieving uniformity in data collection; the countries continued to receive training in how to use the program.

    • In 1994, the second statistical publication on drugs was prepared, titled "Resumen Estadístico", and included series on the foreign trade in chemical precursors and substances of the last five years.

    • Direct advisory services continued to be provided to the countries in the area of statistics; the idea was to prepare a model in order to store all statistical data with the institution that the governments of the member States created for that very purpose.

  2. Demand area (Consumption)

    • A technical document was prepared to begin development of the statistical module on demand (consumption).

    • Washington, D.C. was the site of a meeting with the group of advisors and consultants that prepared the document containing the method for putting into practice the demand statistics module. The initial standards were discussed and approved at that meeting.

    • The operational part is being designed, including the program that will be used to process statistical data from the demand module.

  3. Subregional centers

    • With the cooperation of the governments of Mexico and Uruguay, two subregional centers on drug statistics are being developed. These will make it easier to standardize criteria and to compile, analyze and present regional reports.

  4. Training

    • The first seminar on techniques for compiling, presenting and analyzing data was held in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and attended by 17 member countries.

    • The Dominican Republic was the venue of the first statistical workshop for designing, monitoring and evaluating the impact of policies in the area of drug demand. In attendance were 20 officials from 17 member countries.

  5. Coordination with international organizations

    • Meetings have been held with the United Nations and with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) concerning the Uniform Statistical System, with a view to coordinating efforts.

  6. Other activities

    • Progress has been made in developing a database on the drug consumption surveys and other research. Efforts to develop a new database on chemical precursors and substances are now in progress.

      An econometric model is being prepared that will make it possible to estimate meaningful variables in the area of chemical precursors and substances.

Member centers of IADIS

In early 1994, IADIS had a network of 34 centers in 19 member States. Plans are to add centers in most of the remaining member States by the end of 1995. In February 1994, eleven centers were given guidance in the IADIS bibliographic/reference method. In early November, another course on the same topic was given for staff of the National Drug council of the Dominican Republic. The databases developed as of mid-1994 were supplied to the centers.

The centers in the IADIS network are to compile and process drug-related bibliographic and reference data received from their respective countries. In 1994, some centers did surveys on national institutions working in the area of drugs, while others compiled specialists' resumés. A number of centers provided copies of their own databases to the IADIS coordination group. One center in the network undertook coordination of the IADIS bulletin "IADIS Comparte", two issues of which were published in 1994. Two other centers set about developing a thesaurus, a project so complex that it will require considerable external financing and several years of work.

One of IADIS' principal activities in 1994 was production of the CD-ROM, which was the job of technicians at the Universidad de Colima. Another important activity has been development of the legislative database, which is being done in conjunction with ILANUD. A technical meeting was organized and attended by attorneys from the various legal systems of the hemisphere, to test the format of the database. It was decided that a second meeting would be held in February 1995 to teach the Central American countries how to input data. Design and implementation of an electronic connection and telecommunications system linking the centers in the network also got under way.

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