Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours

The Unit works globally to improve health and well-being of populations by articulating, promoting, supporting and monitoring evidence-informed policies, strategies and interventions to reduce the burden associated with alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours.

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Monitoring

The Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours Unit engages in data monitoring through a range of activities focusing on:

Collecting, compiling, analysing and disseminating data related to the public health implications of alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours in order to track progress in achieving national, regional and global targets set by national governments and international monitoring frameworks from WHO and the UN system.
Coordinating with other programs in WHO Headquarters, regional and country offices, UN entities, other intergovernmental organizations, academic institutions and engaging, as appropriate, with other data providers to generate, collate and triangulate available data through transparent processes;
Maintenance, updating and further development of the WHO Global Information System on Alcohol and Health (GISAH) as well as regular reporting on alcohol, health and progress towards achieving relevant global targets.
Maintenance, updating and further development of the WHO Global Information System on Prevention and Treatment Resources for Substance Use Disorders and regular reporting on progress towards achieving relevant global targets, including SDG health target 3.5 (in collaboration with UNODC).
Development and dissemination of technical tools for monitoring and surveillance activities related to alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours, as well as provision of technical guidance and support for the development of regional and national monitoring systems aligned with global monitoring frameworks.

Latest report

The Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders presents a comprehensive overview of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related...

News

Over 3 million annual deaths due to alcohol and drug use, majority among men

Monitoring frameworks

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consist of 17 goals with 169 targets that all 193 United Nations Member States have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2030 (UN, 2015). Alcohol and drugs are specifically mentioned under health target 3.5: “Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance use, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”. The inclusion of a separate health target to strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders under SDG 3 illustrates the increased diversity of the new global development agenda and its recognition of harmful use of substances as a development issue in itself.

Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.

Indicator 3.5.1. Coverage of treatment interventions (pharmacological, psychosocial and rehabilitation and aftercare services) for substance use disorders.

Indicator 3.5.2. Alcohol per capita consumption (aged 15 years and older) within a calendar year in litres of pure alcohol.

Global survey on progress on SDG health target 3.5 (2019)

World Health Statistics 2020: Monitoring health for the SDGs

SDG Indicators Metadata repository (external webpage)

The NCD Global Monitoring Framework

The NCD Global Monitoring Framework was developed to enable global tracking of progress in preventing and controlling major noncommunicable diseases - cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung diseases and diabetes - and their key risk factors including tobacco use, the harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diets.

Target:

At least 10% relative reduction in the harmful use of alcohol 2, as appropriate, within the national context

Indicators:

Total (recorded and unrecorded) alcohol per capita (aged 15+ years old) consumption within a calendar year in litres of pure alcohol, as appropriate, within the national context
Age-standardized prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among adolescents and adults, as appropriate, within the national context
Alcohol-related morbidity and mortality among adolescents and adults, as appropriate, within the national context

Resources for monitoring

International Guide for Monitoring Alcohol Consumption and Related Harm

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to WHO Member States on epidemiological monitoring in order to inform and facilitate effective policy formulation, and to improve the global and regional comparability of data on alcohol use and health...

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Information systems

Global Information System on Alcohol and Health

The Global Information System on Alcohol and Health (GISAH) is an essential tool for assessing and monitoring the health situation and trends related to alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm, and policy responses in countries. The system contains key alcohol indicators and available data sources.

Access GISAH

Resources for Substance Use Disorders

Resources for the Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders present data collected from WHO Member States in broad categories: 1) governance, policy and financing, 2) service organization and delivery, 3) human resources and 4) national information systems.

Access the resource

Data collection tools

Global Survey on Alcohol and Health

WHO has been collecting data on alcohol consumption and alcohol control policies from its Member States since 1996. The current survey instrument entitled "Global Survey on Alcohol and Health" includes three sections, namely alcohol policy, alcohol consumption, and surveillance. The information provided is essential for the preparation of the global status reports on alcohol and health and regional publications, as well as for updating the Global Information Systems on Alcohol and Health (GISAH) and regional information systems.

Global Survey on Alcohol and Health 2023

Alcohol module in the STEPS survey

The WHO STEPwise approach to Surveillance (STEPS) is a simple, standardized method for collecting, analysing and disseminating data in WHO member countries. The STEPwise approach to risk factor surveillance questionnaire includes a module on alcohol consumption.

STEPS Instrument including alcohol module

Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders

International Guide for Monitoring Alcohol Consumption...