Fact Sheet: U.S. Global Demand Reduction Efforts on Drugs

11 December 2000

Fact Sheet: U.S. Global Demand Reduction Efforts on Drugs

Prevention and treatment activities highlighted by INL

Following is the text of a December 2000 fact sheet on U.S. international demand reduction initiatives on illicit drugs, issued by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) at the U.S. Department of State:

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FACT SHEET: INL INTERNATIONAL DEMAND REDUCTION INITIATIVES

(Released by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Department of State)

Drug "demand reduction" refers to efforts to reduce worldwide use and abuse of, and demand for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Unlike "supply reduction," which focuses on law enforcement activities to suppress or disrupt production and distribution of drugs, "demand reduction" seeks reduction of abuse directly through prevention and treatment. The need for demand reduction is obvious since escalating drug use and abuse continue to take a devastating toll on the health, welfare, security, and economic stability of all nations. As a result, foreign countries are increasingly requesting technical and other assistance from the United States Government to address their demand problems, citing long-term U.S. experience and efforts in this area. Such assistance can play an important role in helping to preserve the stability of societies threatened by increasing drug abuse.

The INL demand reduction strategy integrates a broad spectrum of initiatives which include:

-- bilateral training and technical assistance to prevent the onset of use; intervention at "critical decision points" in the lives of vulnerable populations to prevent both first use and further use,

-- improve effective treatment programs for the addicted,

-- broaden education and increase public awareness of the deleterious consequences of drug use/abuse,

-- coalition building to mobilize the international community,

-- research on the effectiveness of these and other programs.

Training

INL-funded bilateral training and technical assistance programs are targeted towards countries that have invested significant resources in programs developed with INL-funded assistance. INL-funded regional training targets countries in regions experiencing high addiction rates (e.g., Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe/Russia). Some of the countries that have benefited from INL-funded training are the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and South Africa.

INL-funded training and technical assistance have helped host governments engage their own institutions and communities to reduce demand for illicit drugs. Building on this assistance, many countries in South America and South Asia continue to develop and staff their own drug treatment/prevention programs. Several of these programs reportedly experience high treatment program retention rates, reduced recidivism, and reduced peer violence compared to U.S. based programs.

Examples of where INL-funded demand reduction projects have made a difference:

-- In Thailand, the Department of Corrections have utilized INL training in over 75 institutions to treat over 2,500 drug addicted inmates daily.

-- In Chile, INL-funds are being used to design a nationwide anti-drug, free television and radio media campaign similar to the successful Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

Coalition Building

Coalition building programs involve the development of public and private sector networks of demand reduction organizations to mobilize international opinion against the drug trade and encourage governments to develop and implement strong anti-drug policies and programs. This involves establishing and strengthening existing national, regional, and international networks of public/private organizations involved in treatment and prevention fields. INL funding for these programs will be used to link national treatment/prevention networks with regional networks.

In FY 2000, INL-funded coalition building initiatives resulted in the creation of the first-ever "international drug prevention network" that includes over 70 countries, and a Western Hemisphere demand reduction network (the Drug Prevention Network of the Americas) consisting of over 3,000 programs. Using INL-funds, coalition groups are also creating a worldwide web site/internet system for the drug prevention field (www.dpna.org).

Research

INL-funded research consists of cross-cultural, scientific comparative research programs designed to directly benefit foreign and U.S.-based demand reduction programs. The results of these research grants will be a compilation of best-practices, common program elements and lessons learned from organizations in selected countries that have developed successful drug treatment/rehabilitation modalities from INL-funded training.

Preliminary results from studies conducted on INL-funded demand reduction training in Peru confirms the viability of INL training in fostering host government institution building.

Another study on programs for high-risk youth in drug intervention programs (Peru, Brazil) indicates significant results in terms of increased program retention rates and successful reintegration into society.

INF-funded research in FY 2000 will evaluate youth anti-gang/violence reduction programs developed from INL-funded training with the intent of benefiting similar services provided in the U.S. and in other countries.

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