The text noted that in the face of this situation, there are effective treatment options for alcohol use disorders, but treatment coverage remains low, with available data indicating that the proportion of people in contact with these services ranged from less than one to 35 percent in that year.

WHO reported that most of the 145 countries whose data did not have a specific budget line or figures on government spending for substance use disorder treatment.

Although peer support groups are useful resources for people with alcohol and drug use disorders, nearly half of the responding nations reported that they do not offer such services.

Stigma, discrimination, and misconceptions about the effectiveness of treatments contribute to these gaps in healthcare provision and to the continued low prioritization of substance use disorders by health and development agencies, WHO noted.

Substance use seriously harms people’s health, increases the risk of chronic diseases and mental disorders, and causes millions of preventable deaths each year.

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