INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE

The establishment of the commission was important for several reasons: first, it fostered a multi-disciplinary, integrated, and coordinated approach to the resolution of drug related concerns (see Radimecky in this issue); secondly, it reflected the quick entry of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) into the fields of drug prevention, treatment, and harm reduction and established the first mechanisms for sustaining these programs (see Kalina in this issue). Pavel Bern also stressed the role of research and development in an evidence-based drug policy, and he initiated and/or commissioned several pioneer research projects.