THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM TO DETECT TRENDS IN ILLICIT DRUG-USE IN AUSTRALIA - THE ILLICIT DRUG REPORTING-SYSTEM

Appropriate ways to monitor the availability and use of illicit drugs were examined. Four methods were tested concurrently: (1) a quantitati ve survey of injecting drug users, (2) a qualitative key informant stu dy of illicit drug users and professionals working in the drug field, (3) examination of existing sources of survey, health and law enforcem ent data and (4) an ethnographic study of a high risk group of illicit drug users. The first three methods were recommended for inclusion in an ongoing national monitoring system, enabling the collection of bot h quantitative and qualitative data on a range of illicit drugs in a r elatively brief, quick and cost-effective manner. A degree of converge nt validity was also noted among these methods, improving the degree o f confidence in drug trends. The importance of injecting drug users as a sentinel population of illicit drug users was highlighted, along wi th optimal methods for qualitative research.