University Of Maryland
CESAR: Center for Substance Abuse Research

Our Research

CESAR is one of the nation’s premier university-based research institutes addressing issues related to alcohol and other drugs. CESAR’s multidisciplinary research team comprises epidemiologists, sociologists, psychologists, criminologists, statisticians, and demographic experts. This expert team enables CESAR to:

  • Monitor drug trends
  • Conduct policy-relevant research
  • Design drug-prevention programs
  • Evaluate drug-prevention, intervention, and treatment programs
  • Provide technical assistance to state and local agencies
  • Train students in substance abuse research methods and policy analysis

CESAR has an extensive history of survey research among adult and juvenile criminal justice populations, drug treatment clients, substance abuse experts, and the general population. CESAR has worked effectively with professionals from public health, legislative, law enforcement, and drug treatment institutions to understand developments in drug use trends and epidemiology and to help evaluate and formulate program and policy responses to problems associated with drug use.

CESAR’s recent accomplishments include:

  • Co-sponsoring a historic Drug Czar Conference that featured seven of the eleven men who have served as heads of the White House drug abuse prevention office.

  • Piloting an innovative program of expanded testing of Maryland probationer/parolee urine specimens, utilizing samples already being routinely collected by Department of Parole and Probation staff.

  • Conducting an exploratory analysis of treatment admissions for misuse of other opiates, such as OxyContin®, morphine, and Demerol®.

  • Implementing the Student Drug Research (SDR) survey to monitor drug trends among college students through the completion of periodic questionnaires by a panel of student drug reporters.

  • Documenting changes at the state level regarding the state prevention strategy and evaluating system changes resulting from the Maryland Youth Strategies Consolidated Grant.

  • Establishing the Maryland Drug Early Warning System (DEWS) to track local drug use trends and make policy and program recommendations.

  • Assisting the State and local Drug and Alcohol Abuse Councils' efforts to develop and implement treatment and prevention strategies and measure effectiveness over time.