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ALICE RAP Project preliminary findings presented during the Eighth Annual Conference of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy

Rome -

UNICRI and RAND Europe presented the research conducted within the Project ALICE RAP, during the Eighth Annual Conference of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (Rome, 21-23 May), an international conference which brought together many renowned academics and experts in the drug policy field.

The Conference was an occasion to share the early findings of the research conducted within the Project ALICE RAP (Addictions and Lifestyles in Contemporary Europe - Reframing Addictions Project) with acclaimed experts. Project ALICE RAP is a five-year EU funded project which aims to strengthen scientific evidence to inform the public, impact political dialogue and stimulate a broad and productive debate on current and alternative approaches to addictions. The project involves around 200 scientists from more than 25 countries and includes 29 different disciplines.

As part of this Project, UNICRI conducted 72 prison-based interviews with inmates convicted of drug-related offences (regulated by articles 73 and 74 of the Presidential Decree 309/90) to better understand dealers’ business strategies. Prison-based interviews were also carried out in Slovenia and Germany by other ALICE RAP partners, involving a number of adult males convicted of offences related to heroin and cocaine distribution/sales. The main objective was to develop a better understanding of how the cocaine and heroin markets work in three Member States and the ways in which drug dealers and traffickers operate to earn money.

Empirical analysis of interview data is being undertaken by RAND Europe, a non-profit research institute based in the United Kingdom. The analysis aims to extract information on potential revenues, costs and profits related to the drug market. Selected findings, based on the preliminary analysis of interviews conducted with Italian dealers were presented during the Conference.

The Eighth Annual Conference was organized by the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) and participants included representatives from international organizations, officials from various institutions, academia and experts working in the field of drug policy analysis and research.