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Realistic Evaluation of an Illicit Drug Deterrence Programme

Analysis of a Case Study

Studio CEVAS, Rome, Italy, Ieone{at}cevas.it

This article describes an evaluation conducted in a region of northern Italy, based on the realistic evaluation approach.This case study is related to the application at regional level of national legislative measures against personal drug consumption, the so-called Article 75, through the implementation of a pilot programme. Article 75 DPR 309/90, is a `sanctions-based' intervention mainly based on the mechanism `threat—dissuasion', such that people who are found in possession of illicit drugs for personal use can be temporarily detained by the police, have a mandatory interview and abstinence test and sometimes have an administrative penalty or a mandatory treatment. First, the article describes the sequence of mechanisms anticipated by decision-makers (legislator) and the mechanisms that actually emerged from the programme evaluation; second, the outcomes resulting from the interaction between the mechanisms and the specific contexts are analysed. Finally, a few suggestions are proposed and the advantages of the realistic evaluation approach are discussed.

Key Words: evidence based • illegal drugs • prevention • realistic evaluation • sanctions

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