Policy and Training in Addiction: An Introduction

Worldwide, around 271 million people (5.5% of the global population) aged 15–64 years, used illegal drugs at least once during 2017 [1]. These drugs predominantly include cannabinoids, opioids, cocaine and/or amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) groups. Some 31 million people who use drugs suffer from drug use disorders (DUDs), meaning that their drug use is harmful to the point where they may need advice or treatment. Some 585,000 people are estimated to have died as a result of drug use in 2017. Opioids take a large share, accounting for 76% of deaths amongst people using drugs. About 11.3 million persons in 2017 have a recent history of intravenous drug use. This subgroup endures the greatest health risks with almost half of them living with Hepatitis C, 1.4 million living with HIV and one million living with both of these preventable conditions. The disability-adjusted life year (DALY) in 2017 attributable to illicit drug use was estimated to be 27.8 million. This was compared with tobacco use and alcohol use, accounting for 170.9 million and 85 million in the DALY [2].