The role of drug information centers with consumers

Heightened concern about drug abuse during the late 1960s prompted community leaders to request that the University of Cincinnati's Drug Information Center extend its services to the public. More than 500,000 inquiries have been handled by the Center since it first offered these services. The Center's "hotline" provides information, advice, counseling, and/or emergency treatment and referral information and is extensively involved in community outreach and prevention efforts. Providing reliable, authoritative, and beneficial information requires that all staff be professionally qualified and receive extensive training, pass specialized certification tests, follow structured policies and guidelines, and effectively use consultants. Impressions of the roles, impact, and need for such services in the 1980s are discussed.