Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network

The Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network (OSAM) was a collaborative venture funded by the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) through a contract with Wright State University. WSU subcontracted with the University of Akron to assist in the conduct of the project in the eastern half of the state.

The OSAM Network published its findings twice yearly in comprehensive reports. Critical findings were disseminated through "OSAM-O-Grams," one-page reports distributed via facsimile, e-mail, or US postal service that concisely report and graphically represent significant substance abuse trends. OSAM-O-Grams provided an immediate and convenient way to relay critical information.

The primary mission of the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network was to provide a dynamic picture of substance abuse trends and newly emerging problem populations. OSAM sought to provide substance abuse professionals and policy makers with the information necessary to improve alcohol and drug addiction services, improve prevention services, respond to previously unrecognized drug and alcohol problems among underserved populations, and develop the capacity to respond rapidly to investigate emergent drug abuse problems. These objectives were accomplished by identifying new drugs being used on the streets as well as monitoring drug and alcohol abuse and changes in drug abuse or drug using populations.