Considerations, stakeholders and communication
On a national level it is very important to have the capacity to collect credible and reliable data to develop national early warning systems. This allows countries to detect problems earlier and to be better prepared to identify threats and put in place evidence-based solutions.

The structures of early warning systems differ between countries and should be designed to meet local needs in terms of institutional structure, social characteristics and national drug use patterns. Although some early warning systems function without a formal framework, many national systems operate under a legal framework which defines the role of the system, determines the tasks of the various stakeholders and provides a legal basis for information sharing.

Participation in early warning networks can vary from informal phone calls or email exchanges to official communication in a standardized format. For a well-functioning early warning mechanism, real-time communication is necessary to facilitate cooperation and information-sharing. This can be achieved through formal or informal channels including dedicated virtual platforms and requires close collaboration and trust among stakeholders and the establishment of protocols to deal with sensitive, confidential and classified information...

[See also, the UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs' Library]