New policy measures on community-based rehabilitation, preventive education, and workplace drug prevention were deliberated during the Second Drug Demand Reduction Committee Meeting convened under the leadership of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), as committee members advanced initiatives intended to reinforce the country’s drug demand reduction framework.
At the core of the discussions was the continued enhancement of the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program through the stronger use of research, data systems, and evidence generation to guide policy development and improve the delivery of rehabilitation and recovery services. This direction supports more responsive interventions that address the evolving needs of communities.
Building on this policy direction, the Committee advanced measures to further strengthen drug abuse prevention education across the education sector. The deliberations covered the integration of the National Drug Education Program within the Department of Education’s Learner Support Framework, alongside complementary initiatives that reinforce preventive education in higher education through sustained collaboration among government and academic institutions.
The policy agenda likewise extended to the workplace, where proposed reforms seek to modernize drug prevention programs by adopting health-centered, recovery-oriented, rights-based, and evidence-based approaches. These measures are expected to strengthen workplace policies that encourage prevention, facilitate early intervention, and provide appropriate support for workers.
Supporting these broader policy directions is the development of sector-specific drug abuse prevention education modules for children, youth, workplaces, and community leaders. Once completed, these learning resources will equip implementing agencies and partner institutions with more responsive and context-specific tools for preventive education and community engagement.
These policy directions lay the groundwork for stronger coordination among government institutions and support the continuing refinement of national strategies that respond to the country’s evolving drug situation.
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