Bulgaria is situated on the Balkan heroin route between Afghanistan and Western Europe. A small but often violent illegal market for drugs has been established in Bulgaria since the early 1990s. The study of these problems and their regional and national scope became one of the most important research areas of the Center for the Study of Democracy. In addition to periodic qualitative research into the operation of drugs market, CSD researchers have contributed to analysis of harm-reduction programs. Also, the periodic National Crime Survey (NCS)  assesses annually the levels of drugs consumption in Bulgaria.