Introduction The SIR PATIP project was launched at the end of 1998 and supported by the grant of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) in 1999.

At the planning stage of the project it was planned that information will be stored on some computer and then disseminated by newsletters and answers to requests by e-mail. Actually more modern way of information network was used. Since February, 1999 the information system has its own web-site in Internet. In June, 1999 the web-site was updated and hosted by the GLOBALink network of tobacco control advocates, financed by the International Union Against Cancer and European Commission. The address of the site is http://www.adic.org.ua

Web-Site The site contains information in Russian and partly in English. In January, 2000 total volume of information on the site was about 30 MB. The site has the following structure:

1. NEWS. News of the site: new members of the network, new books, new events, new issues of the periodicals, and all issues of the network newsletters.
2. ORGANIZATIONS: materials on organizations, which are members of the network, information for those who wish to join the information system, classification of organizations according their activities and geography, fundraising for NGOs.
3. PROJECTS: information about the member organizations projects.
4. ELECTRONIC PERIODICALS: The following periodical are presented: Sober Idea (issued by Independent Sobriety Association in Ukraine), Bulletin of NAN Foundation (issued in Moscow, Russia), Children Temperance Paper (since year 2000 renamed to SOBER-COOL – magazine of those who are not afraid to be sober) – issued by adolescents, chief editor is 12 years old.
5. WHO HAS COME TO US? – Special pages for special target groups. At present there are pages for: journalists, medical workers, adolescents, policy makers, educators, psychologists, social workers, parents, students, others.
6. SUBSTSTANCES: Alcohol, tobacco, other psychoactive drugs.
7. LINKS: Links with special comments to the sites in Russian and English both with anti-alcohol, anti-tobacco, anti-drug and pro-alcohol, pro-tobacco, pro-drug content.
8. BOOKS: Contains information about new books, which were recently issued by NGOs and other organizations and can be ordered by e-mail. At present 28 books are present.
9. QUESTIONS: Frequently asked quIt contains detailed information how to use the information system database
10. ENGLISH: Brief information about the project and network for those who cannot read Russian and information about many international and national organizations in two languages. Organization from all countries can have there a page in Russian with information about their activities.

Members of the network. There are several informal levels of membership in the network:

1. Some organizations have their own web-paged in SIR PATIP. In January, 2000, there were 15 such organizations from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and 15 international organizations and organizations from non-Russian speaking countries.
2. Representatives of many organizations attended SIR PATIP seminars. It was planned to conduct 2 seminars for 25 participants in total. Actually there were 3 seminars (in Kiev, 5-7 February, 1999 and 3-5 December, 1999 and in Kazan, 7-9 January, 2000) with 61 participants from Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Kazakhstan and Moldova.
3. Many organizations (about 85) keep mutual contacts with the information system by e-mail.
4. Much more organizations and individual members receive SIR PATIP newsletter by e-mail. There were 5 issues. The last issue was sent to 256 addresses.
5. Geography of the SIR PATIP coverage in Russian speaking countries can be seen at: http://www.adic.org.ua/org/geograph/maps/cis-0124.htm

Users manual. Special users manual called “Internet and drug problem prevention” was written by Dr. Tatiana Andreeva. It was printed and presented to the members of the network. Additional copies of the manual were printed and disseminated by the Russian State Committee on Youth Policy.