Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–3, Documents on Global Issues, 1973–1976

198. Telegram 230901 From the Department of State to Multiple Posts¹ ²

Washington, September 17, 1976, 2003Z

Subject:

• Guidelines for CCINC Funding of Demand Reduction Programs

Ref:

• 74 State 254205 (november 18)

1. The major objective of US policy in the foreign demand reduction area is to bring to the attention of officials of other countries their own abuse problems which will in turn help motivate those countries to more fully cooperate with the United States in reducing the supply of illicit drugs. This recognition that drug abuse affects all nations will help to encourage international cooperation—bilateral, multilateral, and international awareness, effort, and cooperation and result in reducing drug abuse.

2. US assistance in demand reduction programs will be carried out in such a manner that host governments will be provided with information on various methods which should be considered to achieve a desired objective. For example we can assure host governments have adequate information on various methods of treatment or education programs but do not intend to recommend or assist in development of a specific plan of action until host government has made decisions on options it wishes adapt.

3. As summarized in the white paper on drug abuse, assistance to foreign governments is appropriate and encouraged in the following specific areas:

A. Assessment: Estimating, defining and assessing the scope and consequences of drug abuse in that country by a wide variety of techniques.

B. Treatment and rehabilitation: Provide assistance in treatment and rehabilitation, including various modalities and types as well as planning and evaluation for patient reporting and cost effectiveness studies to ensure suitability of technique to local conditions.

C. Knowledge development: Stimulating, planning, assisting, sharing, and evaluating important drug abuse problems and programs sponsored by foreign governments to study the extent, causes, treatment, and prevention of drug abuse. While it is recognized that the primary goal of such studies will be to benefit the host country, it is also recognized that many of these efforts will also add to the understanding of drug abuse problems in the United States.

D. Prevention: Planning, developing, and evaluating programs which aim to prevent drug abuse or to minimize its impact on their society. Alternatives, school program and media are included; community education and information to increase the level of awareness and understanding of drug problems are also included.

4. The following are revised guidelines developed to update those communicated to the field in reftel. They indicate the conditions under which assistance programs in the demand reduction area will meet US policy objectives.

A. Demand reduction projects should be part of and support an integrated US drug abuse program dealing with both supply and demand. They should be designed so as to demonstrate visibly to other governments that the United States is concerned with the demand and health aspects of their drug abuse problems as well as their supply and law enforcement aspects.

B. These programs should be planned for countries where solid evidence exists that the country has or will invest substantial amounts of its own resources, or will attempt to obtain outside resources, to develop programs in treatment and rehabilitation, education and prevention, research and training; or the country is one where the United States would particularly like to see such a commitment made, and either they are (1) the supply source for or a part of a major trafficking route, or (2) opinion leaders in regional united nations, or other international arenas.

C. In addition to raising the host country level of awareness of drug abuse problems, the project should enable us to learn things that would be useful in dealing with other foreign governments in their development of improved demand reduction programs. Thus, development of country and regional leadership in demand reduction programs is one specific objective; providing programs which can serve as a demonstration for other countries to reduce their demand is another objective.

D. The projects involved should not duplicate or conflict with United Nations or other international organization activities nor should we initiate bilateral assistance activities where international organizations efforts would better accomplish our desired purpose.

E. Projects should not, in themselves, aim at solving the country’s drug problem nor imply that the United States has any responsibility for or ability to solve the problem of other countries. Our role is to show, through studies and projects in concrete terms, what can be done in that location with locally available resources to the extent possible.

F. Each project should assume clear-cut limits which derive from the nature of the techniques and the time and dollar amounts needed to show what can be done. Limitations of length of each project, its size and the dollar amounts required will vary depending upon the technique used and the local situation.

G. CCINC funds will not be used for building costs or for major renovations. Costs of equipment and publication on informational materials, if justified, may be included if they are needed to complete a project.

5. These guidelines for the demand reduction area have been approved by the Cabinet Committee for International Narcotics Control. As an important part of overall country programs for narcotics assistance cooperation, action addressees are encouraged to seek ways to develop meaningful demand reduction elements for inclusion in their narcotics control action plan where possibilities for them exist in keeping with these guidelines. In this connection, addressees are expected to make periodic assessments of the nature of the host countries’ drug abuse problems, its interests and plans on the demand side and the extent and quality of the resources that it has or is likely to apply to this aspect of the problem.

6. Previous experience suggests that overseas demand reduction efforts are relatively more difficult to develop than the more familiar supply reduction programs. Such efforts require skill and patience and must reflect the perceived needs in the host nation. The United States is not pushing any particular approach to demand reduction, but the experience gained in the United States over the last decade may prove useful to other nations in responding to their own problems with drug abuse. In this regard the National Institute on Drug Abuse is able on request to provide technical assistance both to Embassies in developing demand reduction components of country plans and to host governments in developing their demand programs.

Robinson

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, S/NM Files, Lot 77D120, Narcotics Control, 1 of 3. Unclassified. Drafted by Du Pont; cleared in DEA, Treasury, AID/SER/INC, OMB, NSC, CIA, and USIA; and approved by Vance.
2. The telegram forwarded guidelines for CCINC funding of drug-related demand reduction programs initiated by foreign governments.