NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
NIDA Border Epidemiology Work Group
The population indigenous to the United States-Mexico border area has
been classified as high risk for drug abuse due to low socioeconomic status.
Furthermore, the high incidence of drug trafficking along the border gives
the population easy access to illicit drugs. Due to the severity of the
drug abuse problem in this region, the National Institute on Drug Abuse
(NIDA) contracted with Conwal to organize an important research effort
in which Conwal examined and analyzed the behavioral, psychological, medical,
and sociological implications of drug abuse.
A project team of qualified Conwal professionals performed extensive evaluations. Conwal gathered information on epidemiology programs throughout the border communities of Mexico and the United States, made recommendations on the formation of an early warning network, and recommended experts to comprise the Border Epidemiology Work Group (BEWG), which held two conferences on drug abuse issues and trends. In support of these conferences, Conwal compiled the meeting data, analyzed the trends discussed, and prepared the final report.
NIDA Community Epidemiology Work Group
Conwal had two critical obligations under this project. First, Conwal
refined the National Institute on Drug Abuse's (NIDA's) existing information
database to encourage easy access for state and local epidemiologists,
and to enable the international drug abuse epidemiological community to
share information on drug and alcohol abuse. This user-friendly computer
network, with national and international capabilities, increased the chances
for the success of early-intervention techniques targeting specific at-risk
groups.
Conwal was additionally responsible for arranging two Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG), and three State Epidemiology Work Group (SEWG), meetings annually. The topics of the former included current drug indicator trends, emerging drugs, health and social consequences of abuse, and the risk factors involved. The SEWG meetings involved the organization and function of state drug abuse information and data collection systems, issues related to current state-level epidemiological research, strategies for potential project implementation, and secondary analysis of drug abuse data findings.
Each attendee reported on regional trends, the results of which Conwal compiled, evaluated, and published in the individual reports.
