Since its creation in November 1988, the Drug Use Forecasting program (DUF) has largely been used to track effectiveness of educational, treatment, and enforcement efforts.
However, the data collected from DUF may be used to forecast patterns in drug abuse as well. For example, statistics on the high proportion of female arrestees who inject cocaine may be used to help treatment organizations allocate funding and make program decisions. As more cities begin to report drug abuse data, DUF can begin to construct a national drug use index. National Institute of Justice (NIJ) will establish a small research program connected with DUF to encourage use of the program's national data base. DUF has been able to establish a relationship with the medical community through publication of an article in the Centers for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. DUF staff has met with the Drug Enforcement Agency and National Institute on Drug Abuse to coordinate Federal research and data collection efforts, as recommended by the National Drug Control Strategy. DUF program data was used as well in the President's anti-drug plan.