Responding to drug and alcohol problems in the community : A manual for primary health care workers, with guidelines for trainers / Responding to drug and alcohol problems in the community : A manual for primary health care workers, with guidelines for trainers

ABSTRACT

Drug and alcohol abuse is increasing almost everywhere and constitues a serious public health and economic problem in many parts of the world. The problem needs to be tackled at the community level, using an integrated approach that combines medical, psychological, and social interventions to treat individual patients, provide support to them and their families, and mobilize the community to take appropiate action. Primary health care workers have a key role to play in such efforts and are often ideally placed to coordinate the community's response