This project was motivated by a prevailing concern among national policy makers and service providers with preventing an expected increase in drug-related health and socioeconomic problems in South Africa (e.g. diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome; traffic accidents; crime; violence; and loss of productivity). Cognizance was taken of the fact that comprehensive and integrated information, critical for a cost-effective and co-ordinated prevention strategy in the RSA, was lacking, mainly because of limited, to some extent unrefined and especially fragmented research infrastructure. Consequently, at the end of 1995 and under the leadership of the Centre for Alcohol/Drug-related Research (HSRC), a number of stakeholder agents mobilized national surveillance of the nature/extent of drug use and related problems to inform and monitor the impact of preventive policy/actions in South Africa. (Collaborators represented policy makers, service providers and research houses from a wide array of contexts, linked through the South African Researcher-Practitioner Association (SARPA). During 1996 the foundation was laid for national surveillance.