Substance abuse
Psychoactive substances are substances that, when taken in or administered into one's system, affect mental processes, e.g. cognition or affect. This term and its equivalent, psychotropic drugs, are the most neutral and descriptive terms for the whole class of substances, licit and illicit, of interest to drug policy. ‘Psychoactive’ does not necessarily imply dependence-producing, and in common parlance, the term is often left unsaid, as in ‘drug use’ or ‘substance abuse’.
Substance abuse, with its substantial health, social and economic costs, has become a major public health concern in both developed and developing countries in the Western Pacific Region. WHO is the only agency dealing with all psychoactive substances, regardless of their legal status. WHO plays a leading role in supporting countries to prevent and reduce the problems due to psychoactive substance use, and in recommending which psychoactive substances should be regulated.
Fact sheets
No fact sheets available at this time.
News and press releases
No news/press releases available at this time.
Relevant publications and documents
Meeting Report: Expert Consultation on Adolescents and Substance Use in the Western Pacific Region, 23-25 March 2011, Manila, Philippines
Assessment of Compulsory Treatment of People Who Use Drugs in Cambodia, China, Malaysia and Viet Nam: Application of Selected Human Rights Principles
The human right to health is recognized in various binding and non-binding agreements under international law. It is universal, which implies that everybody--including people who use drugs--is entitled to this right.
HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment for People Who Inject Drugs in Asia and the Pacific - An Essential Practice Guide
This guide is based on the European guidelines developed by WHO/EURO followed by a consultative process. The initial working group was convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and a first draft for regional adaptation was completed in August 2006. An online consultative process was then established to finalize the document. The guide is based on the discussions with health care workers, researchers and programme managers from South-East Asia and the Western Pacific Regions and the experiences from scaling-up ART and harm reduction services. The guide is meant to be complementary to the global ART guidelines and are considering the need of physicians, programme planners, other health care workers, People Living with HIV, and drug users to have one simplified user-friendly reference guide for the national adaptation on management of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy for IDUs.
Orientation on Harm Reduction - Training Course: Trainer Manual
This training package has been produced for audiences unfamiliar with harm reduction for injecting drug users. It provides an introduction to important concepts in HIV prevention for injecting drug users. The package contains five modules that can be delivered separately or in one session.
Biregional Strategy for Harm Reduction 2005-2009. HIV and Injecting Drug Use
Harm reduction is a comprehensive package of policies and programmes to reduce the adverse health, social and economic consequences of mood altering substances to individuals, drug users, their families and their communities.
Upcoming meetings and events
No meeting/event planned at this time.