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The Demand Reduction Strategy The best response to the threat and challenge of drug misuse faced by our societies is to focus on prevention. This needs to be pursued within a context of developing and disseminating strategies to help people adopt healthier life styles and addressing the personal, social and economic factors that contribute towards people misusing drugs. It also has to be tackled at the level of policy and practice on a global level. Mentor Foundation The Drug Demand Reduction Strategy is pursued against the framework of three (3) key mechanisms: The United Nations Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction The Action Plan against illicit manufacture, trafficking and abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants and the precursors The Plan of Action for Drug Control Coordination and Cooperation in the Caribbean (The Barbados Plan of Action) What is Demand Reduction? Drug demand reduction is used to describe policies or programmes directed towards reducing the consumer demand for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances covered by the International Drug Control Convention. Demand Reduction Strategies Demand reduction strategies are used to balance and complement supply strategies that aim to reduce the production, trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs. Demand reduction strategies have a threefold focus: Preventing the onset of drug use Assisting drug users to break the habit Providing treatment through: rehabilitation social reintegration Guiding Principles Demand reduction policies shall: Aim at preventing the use of drugs and at reducing the adverse consequences of drug abuse. Provide for and encourage active and coordinated participation of individuals at the community level, both generally and in situations of particular risk, by virtue of their geographical location, economic conditions or relatively large addict populations. Be sensitive to both culture and gender. Contribute to developing and sustaining supportive environments.

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