About DEN

Community Drug Epidemiology Networks (DEN)

The State Epidemiologic Workgroup collects data and applies the principles of epidemiology to that data to assist the state and Florida’s communities to gain an understanding of the nature of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse.  Drug consumption, its consequences and the factors impacting it are local issues. In pursuing its mission, the SEW collects and considers county-level data to inform state and community assessment, planning, and evaluation.  This data originates from surveys and incident data sources. Even with the best and broadest data collection, the SEW’s work is usually best for pointing communities in the right direction.  To get clarity on the nature of their substance abuse problems, communities need to ask some additional questions, to gather some additional information.  The development of local data monitoring capacity in the form of Drug Epidemiology Networks (DENs) is designed to complete the assessment process. DENs consist of community members or officials with unique knowledge of local issues and conditions or access to local data   that is not otherwise available to the SEW. DEN membership might include education, law enforcement, judicial, medical, social service, business officials and others who are the eyes and ears of a naturally-occurring multi-layered early detection and surveillance system.  DENs give communities the process for  channeling their information in an organized, deliberate and useful way. The DENs also feed their findings to the SEW to enrich the state’s broader understanding of alcohol, tobacco and other drug-related problems.