Our work on psychoactive drugs
In the area of psychoactive drugs, the Unit focuses on strengthening public health responses to the world’s drug problem and contributing to international drug policy dialogues by:
- developing, disseminating and supporting implementation of technical guidelines, standards and tools for prevention, identification, diagnosis and treatment of health conditions due to psychoactive drug use within the framework of Universal Health Coverage (UHC);
- working with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on implementation of the WHO-UNODC program on drug dependence treatment and care; and,
- generating, compiling and disseminating reliable information on the health impacts of psychoactive drug use, effectiveness of prevention and treatment interventions, and on prevention and treatment capacity of health systems with regard to drug use disorders and associated health conditions.
Multimedia
Publications
Memorandum of Understanding between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
WHO’s role, mandate and activities to counter the world drug problem
The International Standards for the Treatment of Drug Use Disorders was prepared by World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Office on...
The first edition was published in 2013 and summarized the evidence of drug use prevention at the global level. The value of the first edition was widely...
Treatment and care for people with drug use disorders in contact with the criminal justice system: alternatives...
The publication was invited by resolution 58/5 of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs entitled “Supporting the collaboration of public health and justice...
Good Policy and Practice in Health Education: Education sector responses to the use of alcohol, tobacco...
Joint UNESCO, UNODC and WHO publication on education sector responses to substance use in 2017 UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural...
The health and social effects of nonmedical cannabis use
Cannabis is globally the most commonly used psychoactive substance under international control. In 2013, an estimated 181.8 million people aged 15-64 years...
Drug use and road safety
There is growing concern around the world about drug use and road safety. Drinking alcohol and driving is a well studied risk factor for road traffic crashes,...
Guidelines for identification and management of substance use and substance use disorders in pregnancy
These guidelines contain recommendations on the identification and management of substance use and substance use disorders for health care services which...
Community management of opioid overdose
An estimated 69 000 people die each year from opioid overdose. Opioid overdose is easily reversed with the opioid antidote naloxone and with basic life...
The WHO ASSIST package for hazardous and harmful substance use
Manuals for the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and the ASSIST-linked brief interventionsThe ASSIST package, which...
Events
Fact sheets
Feature story
Related health topics