Speaker
Description
Background
Efforts to rank addiction prevention projects based on their effectiveness in the Republic of Croatia began in 2016, when the first Committee for the Assessment of the Quality of Drug Demand Reduction Projects was established. Nearly a decade later, for the first time, quality certificates are being issued to addiction prevention programs following the operational launch of the Committee for Quality Evaluation and Certification of Addiction Prevention Projects/Programs established under the Croatian Institute of Public Health. Despite the existence of a national registry of prevention programs, access to evidence-based programs and information on program quality remains limited.
Methods
This paper presents the development of an innovative national certification system for addiction prevention programs (targeting substance use and other addictive behaviour), as a key step towards strengthening the prevention system in line with the National Strategy on Addiction Policy until 2030. It examines the recruitment process and capacity-building efforts for Committee members (including training via the European Prevention Curriculum – EUPC), the development of necessary documentation (forms for project description and project assessment), and the definition of four quality certification levels.
Results
To date, six prevention projects have undergone the certification process and have been classified across various quality levels—from programs “in development” and “promising programs” to those recognized as “in line with evidence-based standards” and fully “evidence-based.” These findings highlight the importance of continuing the certification process and establishing a national registry of certified programs to enhance access to effective interventions.
Discussion
Access to this information is essential for national and local policy coordinators, practitioners, and funding bodies, serving as a critical component in building an efficient and evidence-based prevention system. Furthermore, it strengthens the broader prevention continuum by translating scientific evidence into structured, interdisciplinary practice, and improving the integration of policy, research, and implementation.
Key words: addiction; prevention; prevention system; certification; evidence-based programs; program quality; evaluation; capacity building
| Conflict of interest | The authors declare no conflicts of interest. |
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