Integrative review on place-based and other geographically defined responses to drug-related threats in communities

The prospect of achieving significant improvements in population health, reducing social gradients, and preventing drug use by mobilising the resources present within communities has attracted the attention of many public bodies and international agencies. By documenting the efficacy of place-based initiatives using well-designed trials, successful initiatives have stimulated interest in this new paradigm. There have been several high-profile initiatives to tackle substance use among young people. We dedicate considerable attention in this evidence review to the assessment of impacts in the context of place-based initiatives, as a fundamental question is whether they represent an effective way of addressing drug-related harms and threats. The EMCDDA’s Action Framework for developing and implementing responses to drug problems underlines the importance of outcome assessment: when intervening to address drug-related harms, it is important to monitor progress and to evaluate initiatives. Several place-based initiatives to reduce drug-related harms have been studied using appropriate research designs, the largest of which have been discussed in journal articles and reports, providing a wealth of data on their effects and characteristics.