Research project DR/57 (Research action DR)
In Belgium, the importance of research into public expenditure is emphasised in the federal policy document on drugs of 2001. To this end, the research “Drug policy in Figures I” was carried out between 2001 and 2003 under the promotorship of Prof. Dr. B. De Ruyver. From 2005 until 2006, Drugs in figures II performed a new measurement using the refined and updated methodology, to gain insight into the evolutions in public expenditure concerning the approach to the drug problem in Belgium. In the present research, Drugs in figures III, the method will be refined again and extended to estimate legal drugs (tobacco, alcohol and psychoactive medication). This extension allows -in line with the Federal drug note making no distinction between legal and illegal drugs- to obtain a full insight into all public expenditure with regard to an integrated and comprehensive drug policy. This research will perform a measurement using the new methodology to estimate the public expenditures (anno 2008) in the drug policy. In the last phases of the research, a SWOT-analysis of the research method will be made and a manual will be developed allowing the federal, regional and local authorities to estimate their drug-related public expenditures.
In a first phase the aim of the study of literature is to define the concept of ‘public expenditure’ and draw up an inventory of methods used in (inter)national studies that estimate public expenditures on illegal and legal drugs.
In the second phase the different actors involved in the policy on (il)legal drugs will be identified. The inventory of actors involved in the policy on illegal drugs, developed in “Drugs in figures I and II” (De Ruyver, et.al.,2004; 2007), will be updated. An inventory of actors involved in the policy on legal drugs will be developed.
During the third phase, the method used in “Drugs in figures I and II” (De Ruyver et al., 2004 & 2007) will be refined and extended in order to make the estimation of public expenditures on legal drugs by federal, regional and local authorities possible.
During the fourth phase A new estimation of public expenditures (anno 2008) for illegal drugs and a first estimation for public expenditures for legal drugs will be carried out. The results of the new estimation of public expenditures on illegal drugs anno 2008 will be compared to the previous estimations of “Drugs in figures I and II” (De Ruyver, et.al., 2004 & 2007) and to (methodologically comparable) international research. The results of the first estimation of public expenditures on legal drugs will also be compared to (methodologically comparable) international research. Finally, the results of the public expenditures on legal drugs are put in comparative perspective with the result of public expenditure on illegal drugs anno 2008. This makes it possible to examine whether there is a different division of resources across policy sectors between illegal and legal drugs.
In the fifth phase a SWOT-analysis will investigate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats of the method in order to formulate proposals to improve future estimations. The result of the SWOT-analysis is a list of advantages and threats for (each part of ) the method.
Finally, in the sixth and last phase, the research group will draw up a scenario, allowing the federal, regional and local authorities -after finishing present research- to estimate their drug-related public expenditures, considering limited personnel and resources. The scenario will describe which methodological steps one has to follow, which tasks have to be carried out and which resources are needed in detail. The use of this scenario should allow these authorities, in cooperation with and under guidance of the National Focal Point (WIV), to gain insight into the public expenditures on (il)legal drugs and to monitor new trends.
Users Committee
Karel Berteloot - FOD Justice
Brigitte Bouton - Waals Gewest
Mathieu Capouet - SPF Santé, Environnement, protection de la chaîne alimentaire
Benoit De Clerck - Ville de Charleroi
Filip De Sager - Stad Gent
André Deswaef - Soc. Zaken - RIZIV
Loes Dewulf - Ugent
Kurt Doms - FOD Volksgezondheid, Veiligheid van de Voedselketen en Leefmilieu
Suzanne Gabriëls - Stichting tegen Kanker
Pascal Garlement - Police judiciaire
Kim Geenens - Stad Gent
Marijs Geirnaert - VAD
Bernard Jacob - AIGS
Marc Jegers - Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Luc Joossens - Stichting tegen Kanker
Kristel Karler - Waals Gewest
Dominique Maun - Commission communautaire française
Murielle Mendez - Duitstalige Gemeenschap
Valérie Paternotte - Commission communautaire française
Tatiana Pereira – Communauté française
Caroline Rasson - Fonds des Affections Respiratoires asbl
Catherine Spièce - Cab. Laanan - Communauté française
Mark Vanderveken - Gemeenschappelijke Gemeenschapscommissie
Pierre Vangyte - Orée
Marlies Vos - Gemeenschappelijke Gemeenschapscommissie
Luc Vuylsteke de Laps - Kab. Vandeurzen - Vlaamse Gemeenschap
Alexander Witpas Welzijn, - Volksgezondheid en Gezin - Vlaamse Gemeenschap
Drugs in cijfers III : samenvatting
Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2011 (SP2383)
[To download]
Drogues en chiffres III : résumé
Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2011 (SP2384)
[To download]
Drug policy in figures : summary
Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2011 (SP2385)
[To download]
Drugs in Cijfers III : eindrapport
Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2011 (SP2436)
[To download]
Drugs in Cijfers III : Onderzoek naar de overheidsuitgaven voor het drugsbeleid in België : eindrapport (Academia Press pdf)
Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2011 (SP2437)
[To download]
