title: Effectiveness of and challenges faced by surveillance systems.
abstract: Drug information or surveillance systems have been developed in an attempt to measure illicit drug use and predict new trends. In Australia, three systems are specifically designed to monitor drug use trends and related harm. These systems have their own strengths and weaknesses. This perspective offers a discussion of these facets. A series of case studies is used to highlight how surveillance systems can be effective in detecting and monitoring trends of use while highlighting the challenges these systems face. As indicated by the case study of ecstasy, such surveillance systems are effective and can provide unique information when a drug is detected and becomes 'established' in the market but the methodology of these systems is challenged when new drug classes emerge rapidly, as is illustrated by emerging psychotropic substances such as mephedrone.
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. m.dunn@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Raimondo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Lucinda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roxburgh
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008694:Methamphetamine; C548233:mephedrone; D003042:Cocaine; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine