Simultaneous strategies to reduce demand for and problematic use of hard drugs

The primary responsibility of (local) governments is to enable people to make healthy choices in order to promote public health. Social circumstances are important determinants of choices that people make. Social risk factors for problematic use of drugs should be reduced to a minimum. Health education goals need to be matched to the different developmental stages of drug use behaviours of subgroups in the population. Employment perspectives for school leavers form an essential ingredient of policies which aim to reduce the demand for 'hard' drugs in order to divert (young) people from drug careers. Primary preventive strategies form the backbone of public policies focused on reduction of demand for hard drugs. Primary preventive strategies are population based and implemented by the public and private sector. Secondary preventive strategies are focused on specific high-risk groups and aim to prevent the development of drug dependence and/or to reduce harm for drug users. Tertiary preventive strategies are directed at individual hard drug users and emphasize harm reduction and rehabilitation of drug users and seek to reduce the side-effects of problematic hard drugs use for the general population. Innovative applied research is needed to improve field methods for timely detection of problematic hard drug use. More information about 'invisible' (hidden) populations of integrated drug users may offer new insights and ingredients for preventive policies on hard drugs.