This paper presents the findings of baseline assessments on psychoactive substance use that were conducted in selected sites in South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia between December 2000 and September 2001. The assessments focused on the status of substance use and prevention resources. They showed that a wide range of substances were used—especially alcohol, tobacco and painkillers—and included substances taken by injection. Usage was particularly widespread in settings where trade in substances offered a means of survival. Institutional resources for prevention of substance use were limited. The social circles within which young people lived set an example and directly encouraged substance use, particularly the use of alcohol, tobacco, and, to a lesser extent, cannabis. These findings suggest the need for policy and programs that give balanced weight to demand and supply reduction, target young people, improve young people's living conditions, and ensure youths' participation in prevention activities.

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This article presents core findings of a pre-intervention survey of psychoactive substance use in two communities in the Republic of Belarus and three communities in the Russian Federation between December 2000 and March 2001. The survey was part of the Global Initiative for the primary prevention of psychoactive substance use among young people in eight countries, initiated by the United Nations International Drug Control Program and the World Health Organization. The survey found that young people (10–21 year olds) fairly commonly reported the use of psychoactive substances, especially the use of malt beer and cigarettes. The young people also tended to report such use among significant others (e.g. (step)fathers, (step)mothers, older siblings, and close friends) in their lives. The young people in the Russian Federation sites tended to approve of various forms of psychoactive substance use among their peers.

Background The health aspects, disease frequencies, and specific health interests of prisoners and refugees are poorly understood. Importantly, access to the health care system is limited for this vulnerable population. There has been no systematic investigation to understand the health issues of inmates in Switzerland. Furthermore, little is known on how recent migration flows in Europe may have affected the health conditions of inmates. Objective The Swiss Prison Study (SWIPS) is a large-scale observational study with the aim of establishing a public health registry in northern-central Switzerland. The primary objective is to establish a central database to assess disease prevalence (ie, International Classification of Diseases-10 codes [German modification]) among prisoners. The secondary objectives include the following: (1) to compare the 2015 versus 2020 disease prevalence among inmates against a representative sample from the local resident population, (2) to assess longitudinal changes in disease prevalence from 2015 to 2020 by using cross-sectional medical records from all inmates at the Police Prison Zurich, Switzerland, and (3) to identify unrecognized health problems to prepare successful public health strategies. Methods Demographic and health-related data such as age, sex, country of origin, duration of imprisonment, medication (including the drug name, brand, dosage, and release), and medical history (including the International Classification of Diseases-10 codes [German modification] for all diagnoses and external results that are part of the medical history in the prison) have been deposited in a central register over a span of 5 years (January 2015 to August 2020). The final cohort is expected to comprise approximately 50,000 to 60,000 prisoners from the Police Prison Zurich, Switzerland. Results This study was approved on August 5, 2019 by the ethical committee of the Canton of Zurich with the registration code KEK-ZH No. 2019-01055 and funded in August 2020 by the “Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler” foundation and the “Theodor and Ida Herzog-Egli” foundation. This study is registered with the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number registry. Data collection started in August 2019 and results are expected to be published in 2021. Findings will be disseminated through scientific papers as well as presentations and public events. Conclusions This study will construct a valuable database of information regarding the health of inmates and refugees in Swiss prisons and will act as groundwork for future interventions in this vulnerable population. Trial Registration ISRCTN registry ISRCTN11714665; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN11714665 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/23973