ABSTRACT

This chapter presents concluding thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book draws on extensive qualitative data regarding the Belgian drug policy development between 1996 and 2003. The evidence-based policy message is still spreading and has filtered into the agendas of drug policy-makers in Europe and elsewhere, as witnessed in the EU Drugs Strategy 2013–2020 and the 2016 United Nations General Assembly. Drug policy and media are often closely intertwined and the literature illustrates how media can play a crucial, but often complex, role in drug policy debates. The Belgian case can be seen as an encouraging example of good governance and even evidence-informed policy-making, as scientific knowledge appeared to influence Belgian drug policy development and the distinctive role played by scientists in the Belgian policy process.