LICE RAP is a new dynamic trans-disciplinary EU project which aims is to help policy makers "re-think and re-shape" current and future approaches to the huge human and economic costs of addictions and lifestyles in Europe. This project is supported by the Catalan Ministry of Health and coordinated from the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona by Dr. Antoni Gual, head of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona Addictions Unit. This Unit holds a broad range of expertise in the management of addictions and undertakes a number of research projects devoted to strengthening scientific and social knowledge on this topic, such as the European projects AMPHORA and ODHIN. This time, the initiative goes far beyond alcohol, and will investigate addiction in its broadest sense, including all types of substance problems and even internet gaming and gambling.
Over the next five years the 'Addictions and Lifestyles in Contemporary Europe Reframing Addictions Project' (ALICE RAP) will weave the work of over 100 scientists from 67 institutions in 25 countries into a integrated evidence base for informed policy action. The research programme includes a wide range of different quantitative and qualitative scientific disciplines stretching across the humanities and social sciences and the biological and medical sciences.
ALICE RAP aims to critically examine and analyse currently fragmented research and strengthen scientific evidence to inform a new dynamic platform for public and political dialogue and debate on current and alternative approaches to addictions.
The project formally started 1st April 2011, and its kick-off meeting will take place in Cosmo Caixa, Barcelona, 23-27 May. ALICE RAP is a 10 million Euro project co-financed by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission, and coordinated by a team in the Hospital Clinic of the University of Barcelona.
Expertise from scientific disciplines contributing to Alice Rap: Addiction studies, anthropology, cognitive science, criminology, demography, economics, education, engineering, epidemiology, evolutionary biology, foresight management, history, journalism, law, mathematics, media, neurobiology, political science, psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy, public health, public management, social marketing, social policy, social psychology, sociology, technology, and toxicology.
Our Approach
ALICE RAP – Reframing (understanding of addiction) and Redesigning (addiction policy) based on objective scientific evidence.
Policies governing addictive substances and behaviours need to balance individual freedom and social responsibility, while taking into account social, economic and ethical considerations. But scientific evidence points to the fact that the classification and legality of addictive substances has rarely been related to the relative harm that these substances can cause to individuals or to society. In fact, while there is a large amount of global scientific evidence to inform the development effective drug policy to improve public health, current policy in most societies takes little or limited account of this research.
ALICE RAP will work to change this by analysing the potential economic, health, and social consequences of new or alternative approaches to govern and manage addiction using foresight methodologies and expert working groups to identify more effective and efficient EU and national level policy options.
Areas of focus
The project is divided into seven areas and twenty one work packages (three in each area), making up an integrated multidisciplinary research strategy:
In addition, two specialist consultation groups input to the direction and work of the project as a whole: