Statistical presentation

Data description

The statistics contain information on social drug abuse treatment, including information on the contact process (from request to ended treatment course) and treatment process (from initiation to ended treatment course).

Drug addiction treatment does not include alcohol addiction treatment. Privately paid treatment is not included in this calculation, just as people in anonymous substance abuse treatment (Section 101a of the Service Act are not included either. These statistics are compiled for municipalities, but only municipalities that have approved their data on social drug abuse treatment are included. For 2021-2024 all the municipalities are included in the statistics.

See an overview of all reportable information by July 1, 2025, which is also available on the statistics information page under "Vejledninger".

See a visual overview of what must be reported by the municipality and a visual overview of what must be reported by the drug abuse treatment center (both in Danish). Please note that the schema KVALHEP will be omitted by July 1, 2025.

Reporting of admissions, services, and discharges became voluntary as of January 1, 2024, and ceased to be possible as of January 1, 2025.

Classification system

These statistics are grouped by municipalities.

Sector coverage

Not relevant for these statistics.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Request for treatment: A request for treatment is when a citizen contacts the municipality or treatment centre and ask for drug abuse treatment. A request does not necessarily mean that treatment will be started. This depends on weather or not a initiation is made.

Initiation: When the municipality has assessed the citizen's needs based on a screening of the citizen, the municipality initiates the treatment process if it deems it relevant for the citizen to receive drug abuse treatment. The initiation is the point at which the assessment is complete, and the citizen begins receiving drug abuse treatment.

Enrolment in treatment centre: The municipality reports which type of treatment is provided to the citizen and by whom. It is possible to report multiple enrolments after a single request for treatment (treatment courses) - both chronologically, in parallel or staggered from each other. It is here, that the municipality reports what kind of treatment, the citizen receives (social treatment, medicinal treatment, round-the-clock treatment, etc.

Ended treatment courses: An ended treatment course means that the municipality has ended the treatment course.

Contact procedure: A contact procedure is the period between request and ended treatment courses. A contact procedure does not always result in a treatment course, if the treatment is not initiated, but there is only a request and a ended contact course.

Treatment course: A treatment course is the period between initiation and ended treatment courses.

Treatment guarantee: All citizens have a legal right to receive an offer of social drug addiction treatment within 14 days after they have requested treatment, and this is referred to as a treatment guarantee cf. Section 101 of the Service Act, Section 142 of the Health Act and section 33 of the Children's Act.

Section 101 of the Social Service Act: Section 101 of the Social Service Act describes the municipality's obligation obligation to offer social drug treatment, along with a 14-day treatment guarantee. The social substance abuse treatment, also called drug-free treatment, can include, for example, individual counseling sessions or group therapy.

Section 33 of the Children's Act: Section 33 of the Children's Act describes the municipals obligation to offer social treatment to children and young people under the age of 18 years with a substance abuse problem, along with a 14-day treatment guarantee. The social substance abuse treatment, also called drug-free treatment, can include, for example, individual counseling sessions or group therapy

Section 142 of the Health Act: Section 142 of the Health Act describes the municipals obligation to offer medical treatment and the treatment guarantee of 14 days. Medical drug addiction treatment, also called medical substance abuse treatment and substitution treatment, is a treatment where opioid-dependent citizens receive a replacement medication aimed at treating or reducing harm related to the citizen's addiction.

Statistical unit

• Incidents (request, initiation, end of treatment) in treatment courses
• Persons in treatment during the year
• Compliance with treatment guarantee

Statistical population

Drug abuse treatment delivered by municipalities and treatment centers for citizens in Denmark, according to Section 101 of the Service Act,Section 142 of the Health Act and Section 33 of the Children's Act.

Reference area

Denmark excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Time coverage

These statistics cover the time period from 2015 and onwards. Micro-data for researchers and ministries include contact courses with start dates going back to the 1980s.

Base period

Not relevant for these statistics.

Unit of measure

Number of incidents, number of treatments and number of persons in treatment, including percent and compliance with treatment guarantee.

Reference period

Calendar year.

Frequency of dissemination

Yearly.

Legal acts and other agreements

Reporting of people in social drug use treatment by Section 101 of the Service Act and Section 33 of the Children's Act is compulsory due to:

• Chapter 6 in Bekendtgørelse om dataindberetninger på socialområdet
• § 82 in lov om retssikkerhed og administration på det sociale område

The Children's Act (Barnets Lov) is came into force by Jan 1, 2024, which means that the municipalities must report social substance abuse treatment for children and young people under the age of 18 according to a new paragraph (§ 33). Before all social substance abuse treatments must be reported according to § 101.

Reporting of people in medicinal drug use treatment according to § 142 i the Health Act er lovpligtig jf.:

• § 19 in lov om autorisation af sundhedspersoner og om sundhedsfaglig virksomhed
• § 195 in the Health Act
• Bekendtgørelse nr. 1789 af 16. december 2015 om kommunernes indberetning til Sundhedsdatastyrelsen om lægesamtaler i forbindelse med stofmisbrugsbehandling, lægelig stofmisbrugsbehandling og frit valg i forbindelse med lægeligstofmisbrugsbehandling
• Bekendtgørelse nr. 1700 af 21. december 2010 om indberetning af lægelig stofmisbrugsbehandling og indsats mod hepatitis C blandt stofmisbrugere
• Bekendtgørelse nr. 1678 af 16. december 2016 om lægers indberetning om ordination af afhængighedsskabende lægemidler som led i stofmisbrugsbehandling

Cost and burden

The municipalities and the drug addiction treatment centers are obliged to report to Statistics Denmark in accordance to the laws in "Legal acts and other agreements"

From 2024, it it only the municipal authorities that have the obligation to report cf. the section "Legal acts and other agreements", which is why the reporting burden is expected to be significantly reduced from this date.

From July 1, 2025 a number of questions are dropped from the questionnaire. Read more in the requirement specification.

From September 1, 2024 the regions have reported drug abuse treatment data on a limited scale from their [new treatment option]https://www.regioner.dk/sundhed/psykiatri-og-social/integreret-behandling-for-mennesker-med-psykisk-lidelse-og-samtidig-rusmiddelproblematik/) via LPR. The data will be a part of next years publication in 2026.

Comment

Further information can be found at the Subject page for these statistics, or by contacting Statistics Denmark directly at smdb@dst.dk.