The State Agency for Prevention of Alcohol Related Problems Poland, Warsaw, 25 Szańcowa str. Fax: (0-48-prefix-22) Tel: (0-48-prefix-22)

The State Agency for Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems The State Agency for Prevention of Alcohol Related Problems is a professional, government-based institution created to construct the foundations of the healthcare policy of the state, concerning the improvement of prevention, treatment and public education. The Agency was founded as a result of The Act on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism. The Agency’s goals and tasks are pointed out in the above mentioned A ct and in The National Programme of Prevention and Resolving Alcohol- Related Problems for years

The Agency cooperates on regular basis with experts and scientific centers that diagnose the health condition of the society, its lifestyle and model of consumption, and bring prevention and therapeutic programs up to date. The Agency supports the institutions for treatment and prevention of alcohol problems, it cooperates with state and local government representatives; and offers professional help to many institutions and associations engaged in the implementation of The National Programme.

The tasks of The State Agency for Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems Preparing a draft of The National Programme of Prevention and Resolving Alcohol-Related Problems for next years and a plan for division of funds for its implementation. Giving its expert opinions and preparing the drafts of legislative acts and agendas on the policy concerning alcohol and alcohol-related problems. Providing information and education, preparing expert opinions and preparing and executing the new methods of preventing and resolving alcohol-related problems. Providing professional support to local governments, institutions, associations and individuals carrying out the tasks connected with preventing and resolving the alcohol- related problems; as well as commissioning these tasks and financing their implementation. Cooperation with representative bodies of provinces and representatives of local government councils in charge of alcohol abuse prevention. Initiation and coordination of activities making the substance abuse therapy more efficient and more available. Commissioning and financing the tasks connected with preventing and resolving alcohol- related problems. Cooperation with international organizations and institutions in the field of alcohol abuse prevention.

The structural pattern of The State Agency for Prevention of Alcohol Related Problems The Agency consists of the following departments: Department of Dependence Treatment and Medical Programs Department of Prevention for Children and Family Department of Safety in a Family and Public Places Department of Local Programs Department of Public Education and Analyses

Department of Prevention for Children and Family: It initiates the proceedings dealing with modern preventive programs and coordinates their implementation in local communities, schools and families. It initiates and coordinates the activities making alcoholism treatment more available and more efficient. It sets up the standards of therapeutic activities and training courses dealing with alcohol-related problems. Department of Dependence Treatment and Medical Programs:

It provides support to local governments concerning their statutory tasks connected with preventing and resolving alcohol-related problems. Department of Local Programs: Department of Safety in a Family and Public Places: It assists in creating programs for counteracting family violence. It initiates activities reducing the risks resulting from insobriety in public places.

Department of Public Education and Analyses: It prepares publications that expand the knowledge of alcohol-related problems. It coordinates the publishing enterprises concerning public education on alcohol-related problems. It prepares diagnostic and research data. It prepares expert opinions for the healthcare authorities and parliamentary committees.

THE MAIN PROGRAMS CARRIED OUT BY THE STATE AGENCY FOR PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED PROBLEMS

PROGRAM I Making the therapeutic services more available and more effective for alcoholics and members of their families; modernization of dependence treatment This program encompasses the following activities: The training of alcoholism treatment staff and the leaders of self-help communities. Conducting the system verifying professional skills of therapists employed in dependence treatment facilities. Improving the therapeutic methods for addicts and extending the therapeutic services for family members with alcohol-related problems. Preparing programs and extending the availability of therapeutic services for risk populations. Running the information center about institutions and staff of alcoholism treatment facilities in Poland. Promoting the leading institutions that create the chain of facilities providing internship for dependence treatment staff and monitoring the process and effects of therapy. Monitoring and assessment of the effects of the therapy of dependent and codependent patients.

PROGRAM II Implementing the methods of early diagnosis of alcohol-related problems and of brief intervention for patients of primary health care system; professional training courses for staff of health care system This program encompasses the following activities: Introducing the subject of alcohol problems and dependence to programs of medical and nursing schools. Popularize among healthcare workers and doctors the family methods of early diagnosis and brief intervention for people who abuse alcohol. Providing the patients and medical staff of primary and specialized healthcare with information on dependence, codependence and methods of therapy.

PROGRAM III Extending the effeciency and availability of preventive programs in school and family environments. This program encompasses the following activities: Providing teachers and counselors with the knowledge on modern strategies of prevention of alcohol-related problems. Improving the professional skills of counselors and teachers who are to teach prevention to teenagers and their parents. Expanding parents’ knowledge on family prevention about alcohol abuse. Implementing preventive procedures addressed to young adults (students, draft soldiers). Reducing the availability of alcohol to teenagers and young people.

PROGRAM III (continued) Extending the effeciency and availability of preventive programs in school and family environments Extending the availability of facilities offering assistance to the alcohol abusing children and their parents; a nd extending the efficiency of intervention programs. Educating young people about dangers and losses connected with alcohol drinking. Preparing the youth leaders for animating preventive activities. Educating regional and local leaders. Organizing regular national campaigns on prevention and education. Establishing the system of telephone information on alcohol-related problems; t he so-called „Orange Line”( ).

PROGRAM IV Developing the professional aid system for the children of alcoholics This program encompasses the following activities: Improving the professional skills of the people dealing with the children of alcoholics in sociotherapeutic and educational care centers. Promoting modern methods of sociotherapeutic activities for the children of alcoholics and extending the availability of sociotherapeutic facilities for the children of alcoholics. Improving professional skills of counselors working in institutions providing total care for the children of alcoholics. Developing the chain of Al-Ateen support groups and providing professional training for their groups leaders.

PROGRAM V Counteracting of family violence and reducing the harms connected with insobriety in the environment of the home, work and public places This program encompasses the following activities: Preparing and implementing the intervention procedure about family violence; „Blue Cards” for police, social workers and alcoholism treatment facilities. Providing support for Emergency Service for Family Violence Victims which in local communities cooperates with institutions offering help to violence victims. Developing and supporting the „Blue Line” National Alliance – the chain of institutions, NGO’s and individuals counteracting domestic violence.

PROGRAM V (continued) Counteracting of family violence and reducing the harms connected with insobriety in the environment of the home, work and public places Providing professional training for representatives of specific professions in the field of counteracting violence and offering help to the victims (judges, court appointed supervisors, policeman, social workers, health care staff, teachers). Organizing annual national conferences on counteracting domestic violence. Initiating changes in the system of legal protection against domestic violence. Providing the proposition of instructive and educational materials necessary for alcohol prevention activities in work places. Expanding knowledge on traffic accidents caused by people under influence of alcohol.

PROGRAM VI Providing support for local community programs of preventing and resolving alcohol-related problems as well as self-help groups and NGO’s This program encompasses the following activities: Providing help in creating programs of preventing and resolving the alcohol-related problems in local communities. Providing professional help in drafting declarations of local government councils, connected with selling alcoholic beverages and making use of the profits from alcoholic licenses. Improving the professional skills of representatives and members of local government commitees for prevention of alcohol-related problems, on the activities resulting from the implementation of The Act on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism. Supporting local self-help communities, especially the abstinents’ societies.

PROGRAM VII Public education programs on alcohol-related problems This program encompasses the following activities: Promoting the modern model of public education on social problems connected with alcohol consumption. Drawing the attention of journalists towards alcohol-related problems and counteracting domestic violence by honoring the valuable publications with annual awards in the contest sponsored by the Minister of Health. Preparing the programs and publications for the perticipants of training courses and for representatives of local government councils. Providing information services for media representatives. Promoting specific knowledge on modern methods of diagnosis and therapy of alcohol dependent people; publishing materials for health-care workers and treatment of alcoholism staff. Running the Research Information Center.

PROGRAM VIII Conducting research and preparing diagnoses and expert opinions on alcohol problems This program encompasses the following activities: Annual open contests for reasearch projects on acohol-related issues. Monitoring the implementation of The Act on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism, in local communities and in daily practices of administration offices. Surveying various social groups on their expectations connected with the directions and forms of activities of resolving the alcohol-related problems and counteracting domestic violence. Gathering necessary data for expertises and analyses being the foundation of creating the state policy on alcohol.

PROGRAM IX Providing support for regional programs of preventing and resolving alcohol-related problems This program encompasses the following activities: Providing support for activities of representatives of provincial governments in the new administrative system. Determining priority tasks for the province administration and providing professional and financial support in implementing the provincial programs.

PROGRAM X Other activities The participation of the Agency in the legislative projects: Consultations with the Ministry of Finance concerning the excise tax on alcoholic beverages. On request of the Ministry of Health, preparing and assessing expert opinions of the drafts of official standpoint on new legislative acts and the propositions of changing some acts; preparing the drafts of ordinances. Permanent cooperation with parliamentary Health Committee and Family Committee. Preparing for the Ministry of Health drafts of replies for parliamentary interpellations and senators’ motions and interrogations concerning the state policy on alcohol-related problems.§

PROGRAM X (continued) Other activities Interventions on the market: Constant monitoring of advertisemnts of alcoholic beverages in the media and on billbords. Interventions when law is broken by manufacturers of alcoholic beverages or businesses cooperating with them.

PROGRAM X (continued) Other activities International relations: Relating the tasks ang goals of national programs of preventing and resolving alcohol-related problems to The European Alcohol Action Plan. Close cooperation with European Office of WHO in creating the most important european documents on alcohol. Continual meetings of healthcare experts and specialists from dependence treatment centers with international experts. The participation in annual meetings of National Consultants of European Alcohol Action Plan.