Drug Policy, Day 1, Track 1, 11:00-12:30

Advocacy! Making Your Voice Known for Drug Demand Reduction - US. Senator Mattie Hunter
Developing and Implementing a National Quality Assurance Policy and Control in School-based Prevention of Risk Behaviours: a Case Study - Prof. Michal Miovský, MA, PhD
Defining the role of law enforcement in substance use prevention with special focus on the school setting: guiding document - Dr. Wadih Maalouf
Experience in Advocating for Innovative Public Policy to Reduce drug Demand: Moving from Arrest to Deflection - Jason Kew HonMFPH

Abstracts:

Advocacy! Making Your Voice Known for Drug Demand Reduction - US. Senator Mattie Hunter

The Importance of Advocacy in Setting Policy

Elected and appointed United States officials at the local, state and federal level play a significant role in our society. The laws that we create play a significant role in the lives of each individual. As an American, it is your right to build relationships with your elected officials and to advocate for positive change.

In my role as a State Senator, the main and most critical portion of our job is to listen to advocacy groups and our constituency to gauge interest in new and improve existing policy. Without constituency input and groups advocating for different purposes, we as elected officials cannot make good policy. It is through the presence and voices of advocacy groups, lobbying interests, and constituents that legislators and other officials learn how current, pending and future laws and regulations impact Americans.

Developing and Implementing a National Quality Assurance Policy and Control in School-based Prevention of Risk Behaviours: a Case Study - Prof. Michal Miovský, MA, PhD

The aim was to describe the emergence and implementation of an original nation-wide quality management system in the prevention of risk behaviours in Czechia.

The key driving element of the development turned out to be the changing responses and approaches on the side of providers of interventions and their motivation to become involved which was closely linked to this field of expertise becoming well-established and professionalised. It was the response and engagement on the part of the key prevention providers and the increasing level of their self-organisation that had the greatest effect on the fundamental shift from the formative to the normative approaches during the implementation process. In addition, this process had a major influence on the eventual wide thematic range and coverage (scope) of the standards. It led to the establishment of a unique system represented by four core components: (a) a certification system and standards for the quality of methods and their delivery to the target group (including service providers), (b) the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the provision of programmes at the school level, (c) qualification standards for prevention professionals based on a competence model, and (d) ethical standards.

Defining the role of law enforcement in substance use prevention with special focus on the school setting: guiding document - Dr. Wadih Maalouf

Background

We aimed to developed a guiding document focusing on the role of law enforcement in drug use prevention within educational settings.

Methods

We surveyed the different aspects of law enforcement officers (LEO) programmes. We identified law enforcement practitioners (nominated by UN member states) and prevention science experts who were invited to an online technical consultation meeting to contribute to the development process of the guiding document. Then a follow up meeting of practitioners was set up to benefit from their expertise.

Results

A total of 43 UN member states answered the survey: LEO are implicated in substance use prevention activities in schools (93%); prevention activities are done through environmental policies and in person programmes focused on either substance awareness programmes or social and emotional skills programmes (34%); LEO are implicated in prevention programmes in schools as a special unit within police force, trained on substance use prevention (67%); substance use prevention is guided by a national strategy for coordination and delegated to local administration for adaptation (53%); the involvement of LEO in substance use prevention in schools is systematic (63%).

Conclusion

We are in the final step of the process of developing the guiding document.

Experience in Advocating for Innovative Public Policy to Reduce drug Demand: Moving from Arrest to Deflection - Jason Kew HonMFPH

Jason will discuss the current political and strategic landscape within the UK's Public Health and Policing consensus on reducing drug use and the components of the UK Govt.s new drug strategy where Deflection features prominently. He will also detail his own experience as a serving senior police officer, how he implemented new policy through culture change among his peers, and upwards through complex hierarchical policing and political systems to treat drug possession as a health issue whereby deflection can enable a person to receive an assessment, education and treatment where necessary, often for the first time.

Deflection into quality professional interventions is more than just policing. The whole public health and community system is involved, with examples where children, found with drugs in schools can be deflected instead of excluded, tenants are deflected instead of evicted.. an evidenced based approach, with meaningful outcomes benefitting Police, justice, health and whole communities but most importantly the person themselves.