NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIC ...

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EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE—CEWG Roles and Functions
CEWG Roles, Functions, and Attributes
Role of the CEWG
At semiannual meetings and through ongoing communication
via e-mail, conference calls, and mailings of
relevant data, the CEWG serves as a unique epidemiologic
surveillance network to inform drug abuse prevention
and treatment agencies, public health officials,
policymakers, researchers, and the general public about
current and emerging drug abuse patterns. The informa-
San Francisco
Los Angeles
San Diego
Honolulu
Seattle
Phoenix
The Functions of the CEWG Meetings
Denver
The interactive semiannual meetings are a major and
distinguishing feature of the CEWG. The meetings
provide a foundation for continuity in the monitoring
and surveillance of current and emerging drug problems
and related health consequences. Through the
interactive sessions, the CEWG accomplishes the following:
• Dissemination of the most up-to-date information
on drug abuse patterns and trends in each CEWG
area
• Identification of changing drug abuse patterns and
trends within and across CEWG areas
• Planning for followup on identified problems and
emerging drug abuse patterns
Minneapolis/
St. Paul
Texas
tion is disseminated quickly to alert authorities at the
local, State, regional, and national levels to current and
emerging drug problems so that appropriate action can
be taken. Researchers use the information to develop
research hypotheses that might explain social, behavioral,
and biological issues related to drug abuse.
The 21 areas currently represented by the CEWG are
depicted in the map below.
St. Louis
Detroit
Philadelphia
Chicago
New Orleans
Atlanta
Miami
Boston
New York
Newark
Baltimore
Washington, DC
Presentations by each CEWG member include a compilation
of quantitative drug abuse indicator data.
Members go beyond publicly accessible data and provide
a unique local perspective gained from both public
records and qualitative research. This information is
typically obtained from local substance abuse treatment
providers and administrators, personnel of other
health-related agencies, law enforcement officials, and
drug abusers. Time at each meeting is devoted to presentations
by invited speakers.
Identification of changing drug abuse patterns is
part of the interactive discussions at each CEWG
meeting. Through this process, members alert one
another to the emergence of a potentially new drug
of abuse that may spread from one area to another.
In this role, the CEWG has pioneered in identifying
the emergence of drug epidemics and patterns of
abuse, such as those involving abuse of methaqualone
(1979), crack (1983), methamphetamine (1983), and
Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, Vol. II, January 2005