In the process of establishing the national information system on drugs and drug addiction, upon request of the National Bureau for Drug Prevention, Marshal Offices appointed Provincial Information Experts in Drugs and Drug Addiction. In 2005, the Act of 29 July 2005 on counteracting drug addiction provided for the position of the Provincial Expert. The network of Provincial Experts sets an example of good cooperation between the regional authorities (Marshal Offices) and the central government. This cooperation also draws on the European evidence base in monitoring the phenomenon for the purposes at the national and regional level.

The joint work of Provincial Experts and the Information Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, which started in 2001, in the field of exchange of data and information on the epidemiology of drugs and drug addiction at the central and regional level makes it possible to produce 16 Provincial Reports on the state of drugs and drug addiction in the respective provinces.

At the end of May this year in Poznan the 20^th Conference of Provincial Experts was held by the Information Centre of the National Bureau for Drug Prevention and the Marshal Office of Wielkopolskie Province. The conference featured discussions and analyses of the situation in Poland. An attempt at evaluating the National Programme for Counteracting Drug Addiction 2006-2010 was made.

Next conference will be held in October in Lubelskie Province and the 2012 spring edition in Swietokrzyskie Province.

Provincial Experts coordinate and provide support for the project of monitoring drugs and drug addiction at the local level. Apart from trainings and conferences to be held by Provincial Experts in the provinces of Lodzkie, Mazowieckie and Wielkopolskie, the 3^rd National Conference for communes participating in the local drug monitoring project will be organized in autumn this year.