The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has developed a tool to assess a national prevention system based on the International standards on drug use prevention.1 Following a pilot of the tool (Review of Prevention Systems (RePS)) in Norway, the tool is now being applied to the Irish context. It will explore the range of prevention interventions in Ireland and the system underpinning them in relation to the international standards for effective practices in prevention.

What is RePS?

In 2018, the UNODC, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), published the International standards on drug use prevention.1 The standards present an overview of the international evidence for prevention interventions and policies that promote the health and well-being of children, young people, adults, families, and communities. RePS is a tool developed by the UNODC to assess ‘the extent to which the drug prevention system of a country or sub-national entity (e.g. a municipality) is in line with the Standards with a view to identifying areas of strength and weakness to allow improvement’ (p. 1).2 Data are collected at the intervention level and the system level. The findings of the pilot of the RePS tool in Norway were published in September 2023 and were covered alongside a detailed description of the tool in an article in Drugnet Ireland Issue 89.3

RePS in Ireland

RePS in Ireland is being managed by a team from the Health Research Board (HRB) and the Department of Health Drug Policy Unit. The lead investigator on the project is Professor Ross Macmillan, Department of Sociology, University of Limerick. The project is being carried out with the support of the UNODC, which will draw upon the Irish experience to further refine and develop the tool. In addition, a Strategic Advisory Group will help guide the project. It is expected that data collection will begin in Q2 2025 and a final report will be submitted to the HRB at the start of Q2 2026.

For further information, please contact Ross Macmillan at: rmacmillan@hrb.ie

1    United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and World Health Organization (WHO) (2018) International standards on drug use prevention. Second updated edition. Vienna: UNODC. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/30048/

2    United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and KORUS Oslo (2023) Review of national prevention systems based on the UNODC/WHO international standards on drug use prevention. Final report of the pilot in Norway. Vienna: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/41014/

3    Dillon, L (2024) Review of Prevention Systems (RePS). Drugnet Ireland, 89 (Autumn): 22–25. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/42097/