It requires the participants' time to gather and prepare information prior to meetings, meet periodically, and prepare information for dissemination following the meeting. Often, people who are sought as members of a network already are engaged by agencies or organizations involved in the drug abuse field and may be currently collecting data from or about drug-using populations. The only other requirement for startup is a place to meet. Optimally, meetings should be regularly scheduled about twice each year. At least 1 full day should be set aside for each meeting.
Networks make use of multiple sources of information.
The information obtained from each source is considered an indicator of drug abuse. The direction of changes in indicators across time is a measure of relative change in drug abuse behavior and related problems rather than a measure of absolute change. By comparing information from different sources concurrently, network members can identify and learn more about different drug-using populations, the similarities and differences across groups, and perhaps emerging patterns and trends. One source can complement and support another and help to validate information on drug use patterns. There may be many other potential sources of information, depending on the community itself.