AbstractThis paper presents a review of health promotion strategies to help people to stop using benzodiazepines. Four strategies are described and evaluated: health persuasion, personal counselling, state action and community development. It is argued that the first two strategies have been the most popular to date, especially among doctors, and have an important part to play in changing individual behaviour. Less consideration has been given to the other two strategies, but these are equally important if a comprehensive policy is to be developed concerned with social as well as individual change.