Youth Drug Use Observatory: Monitoring New Trends
Observatory on new drug use among young people
Years:
2004-2011
Funded by:
Main objective:
Summary:
The Observatory of New Drug Use in the Youth Environment is a research programme that has been consistently studying drug use trends and forms of youth leisure in Catalonia since 1998.
The Observatory operates as a “rapid alert system,” designed to sensitively detect changes in drug use patterns while also monitoring the emergence of new substances in their early phases and the stability of more established and well-known usage patterns. Its primary aim is to identify emerging issues related to drug use more swiftly than other mechanisms, enabling action before these problems escalate.
This research initiative is primarily inspired by the ethnographic method, although it integrates additional techniques when necessary. The data it gathers to explore and understand the dynamics of drug use is sourced from its field team, an extensive network of informants (including consumers, professionals working with young people, and others), a panel of key informants, and questionnaires distributed to young people in party settings.
The research team and tools employed are dynamic and strategically positioned across Catalonia. Through its combination of complementary methods, the Observatory captures a comprehensive picture of drug use in youth environments and produces an annual report that highlights both changes and ongoing trends. This report serves as a crucial resource for developing harm reduction strategies from a Public Health perspective, benefiting public institutions and other organisations involved in this field.
