Health Promotion International, Vol. 16, No. 2, 107-110,
June 2001
© Oxford University Press 2001
EDITORIAL |
Illicit drugs: effective prevention requires a health promotion approach
Editor in Chief All countries now face a major crisis in illicit drug use, both directly and indirectly. Emotions run wild when the issue is debated publicly and, understandably, all would wish the problem to go away. But good policy cannot be based on feelings and hearsay—evidence drawn from practice and theory should be the basis for both intervention and prevention strategies.
For too long, illicit drug prevention programmes have been short term, uncoordinated, and have concentrated too much on simple information provision. They have usually operated in isolation from broader health promotion initiatives, and have not been linked to other drug control responses. They have also lacked sustained community-based approaches, which are required to achieve real and long-term benefits. A broader-based health promotion approach is urgently needed.
People have lived in drug-using societies for centuries. Drugs perform many functions—they can treat disease and control pain, and they can relax, remove inhibitions and
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