SILVER SPRING, MD. (March 3, 2004) – Danya International, Inc. (Danya), has released three new reports on Promising Practices in Drug Treatment: Findings from Latin America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State, The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), Danya conducted an assessment of promising practices in drug treatment and aftercare efforts that have the potential for replication across cultures. INL identified drug treatment programs in Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore to be examined in this study. Co-edited by Drs. Susanna Nemes and Salvatore Libretto, small teams of evaluators visited each country's treatment program to identify promising practices related to each program's success.

According to Dr. Nemes, Vice President for Tobacco, Drug, and Alcohol Research at Danya, "A site visit was conducted by a team of two or three evaluators to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Prior to each site visit, information was gathered to tailor the data collection plan and instruments to the culture, and then the instruments were translated into the appropriate language." Proyecto Hombre Association, for example, provides the philosophical framework, professional training, fund-raising, and public relations activities for 25 treatment centers in Spain and four in Portugal. They provide a variety of addiction treatment and prevention services, offering a menu of activities depending on the local needs of their respective communities. The evaluation team visited treatment programs in Madrid, Barcelona, Guadalajara, Mallorca, and Sevilla.

Some examples of promising practices identified included:

Thomas Browne, Division Director for Criminal Justice Programs, Office of Anticrime Programs for INL, who oversees this grant, states "We are very excited to see these reports on promising practices in Latin America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. For many years INL has been providing technical support to countries around the world in drug demand reduction programs, and many of these countries have developed very comprehensive and effective treatment programs. This gives us an opportunity to see what lessons we can also learn from them."

These Promising Practices reports are available online to download for free at www.danya.com/promisingpractices/. Danya International, Inc., is a Silver Spring, Maryland-based health communications firm dedicated to shaping healthy futures by developing innovative and effective solutions to communications needs, including research, evaluation, technical assistance, marketing, and public relations.

For Additional Information Contact:
Dr. Salvatore Libretto - Email: slibretto@danya.com or Phone: (301) 565-2142

About Danya International, Inc.

Danya creates, delivers, and evaluates innovative behavior change strategies that empower people of all ages and from all walks of life to live healthier and better educated lives. The company provides breakthrough services in the areas of public health communication, research and evaluation, information technology, education and training, program management support, and health product development. Founded on the guiding principles of integrity, quality, and creativity, Danya helps its public and private-sector clients to develop research-based tools and campaigns that communicate clear, concise, and effective health messages across all media forms. Founded in 1996, Danya is based in Silver Spring, Maryland. To learn more about the company, visit www.danya.com.