“Harm reduction” is often made an unnecessarily controversial issue as if there was a contradiction between prevention and treatment on one hand and reducing the adverse health and social consequences of drug use on the other. This is a false dichotomy. They are complementary. Inspired by the international drug control treaties and supported by a growing body of scientific and medical evidence, this paper, prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in consultation with the International Narcotics Control Board, outlines a comprehensive set of measures designed to prevent drug abuse, facilitate entry into drug treatment, and reduce the adverse health and social consequences of drug abuse. Such an approach is used for other diseases, so why not for curing drug addiction?

The measures outlined in this paper are inclusive enough to bring back into society all those affected by drug addiction, even the most marginalized. It proposes not only health protection measures, but also access to high quality clinical facilities to stop or reduce addiction. Such an approach can decrease the danger of drugs to the health of individuals and society.