Lessons from the Field: Profiling State Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Problems.

This document is a step-by-step guide to profiling statewide alcohol, tobacco, and other drug problems and policies. Profiles of this sort capture the complexity of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse indicators at the local level, incorporating data from a range of disciplines and making it possible to design data-driven interventions. The guide is intended for use by public or private agencies. Each state is unique, but the steps required to produce a profile are predictable. They are: (1) getting started; (2) gathering data; (3) investigating programs; (4) producing the report; and (5) looking ahead. For each project phase, the guide provides a task list with specific goals. Each chapter contains examples of challenges faced by compilers of other profiles. The guide also includes examples of standard forms that Drug Strategies has found useful in conducting profile research. (Contains 41 references.) (SLD)