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| Summary |
Reports the conclusions reached by a WHO expert committee commissioned to review current options for the treatment of drug dependence and make appropriate recommendations. The report draws on considerable recent advances in the development and evaluation of treatment methods, including several promising new pharmacological tools. Findings from well-designed studies of traditional treatments are also critically assessed.
By reviewing the state-of-the-art in the treatment of drug dependence, the report aims to help policy-makers select appropriate approaches on the basis of solid evidence about their effectiveness and cost-benefits. With this goal in mind, the first and most extensive section describes and compares interventions currently used to treat dependence syndromes, withdrawal states, psychiatric and somatic disorders, and chronic disabilities. Of particular practical value is a review of findings from several major assessments of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of specific treatments. These range from the use of nicotine replacement products, through methadone maintenance treatment as a form of opioid substitution, to psychosocial interventions and the use of specialized residential facilities and therapeutic communities. The report also addresses the considerable controversy surrounding the role of heroin maintenance and other forms of injectable opioid maintenance to treat opium users. Concerning the issue of enforced abstinence, the report cites evidence of extremely high relapse rates following use of this approach.
The second part of the report provides a detailed discussion of the elements needed for an effective national system for the treatment of persons dependent on psychoactive substances, including alcohol and tobacco. |
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