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). In addition, the completion status (drug free, reduced/stabilised drug abuse and other) is calculated at the end of treatment.

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 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.

See an overview of all reportable information, 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).

Classification system

These statistics are grouped by municipalities.

Sector coverage

Not relevant for these statistics.

Statistical concepts and definitions

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.

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.

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. See the section "Legal Acts and Other Agreements".

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. The citizen can only recieve one treatment substitution treatment (i.e., treatment under § 142 of the Health Act) at a time, but can have multiple treatment assignments involving social treatment simultaneously.

When reporting enrollment in treatment centre, the municipality specifies the day the treatment is supposed to start, and this date will be identical to the initiation date. The municipality resports an end date when the treatment at the treatment centre is over. If, during the same treatment course, the citizen has to move on to another treatment center, receive a new type of treatment or a different intensity of treatment (e.g. from ambulant to 24-hour treatment), the municipality must report these changes. If it is the last treatment center in the citizen's treatment course, the municipality will end the citizen's treatment.

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.

Admission: An admission means that the treatment centre has started treatment of the citizen. The first date of admission could correspond to the initiation reported by the municipality. Admissions are not included in the statistics in the Statistics Bank. As of January 1, 2024, it is no longer mandatory for treatment centers to report admissions, which is why admissions from 2024 and beyond are completely excluded from microdata for researchers and others.

Services: With the enrolment, the municipality must attach the services that the citizen recive at the center, e.g. individual talks, group courses, ect. Only social services are included. Medical services are not included here but are instead listed under the treatment enrollment as a type of treatment. Services are not included in the statistics in the Statistics Bank. As of January 1, 2024, it is no longer mandatory for treatment offers to report services, which is why services related to 2024 and beyond are completely excluded from microdata for researchers and others.

Discharge: A discharge means that the treatment centre has stopped treatment of the citizen. As of January 1, 2024, it is no longer mandatory for treatment centers to report discharges, which is why discharges from 2024 and beyond are completely excluded from microdata for researchers and others.

Statistical unit

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

Statistical population

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

Reference area

Denmark excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Time coverage

These statistics cover the time period from 2015 and onwards. Microdata for researchers includes 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

Lov om Danmarks Statistik § 6

Data for social drug abuse treatment due to The Social Service Act (Serviceloven) § 101 is collected according to Bekendtgørelse om dataindberetninger på socialområdet, chapter 5. The act in force is always available via the statistics' information page under the section "Databekendtgørelse".

Per 01.01.2024, a remediation of the statistics came into effect, which means that reporting from drug addiction treatment centers is now voluntary. Per 01.01.2025 these forms will be fully phased out, as they will no longer be supported in SMDB.

The Children's Act (Barnets Lov) is also came into force per 01.01.2024, 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), contrary to today, where all social substance abuse treatments must be reported according to § 101.

See the hearing on changes of the bekendtgørelse om dataindberetninger på socialområdet, where the changes in connection with the Children's Act appear in chapter 5 and the remediation appears in appendix 4.

Bekendtgørelse om dataindberetninger på socialområdet, and the reporting requirements therein, are based on § 82 and § 84 Lov om retssikkerhed og administration på det sociale område.

Cost and burden

The municipalities and the drug addiction treatment centers are obliged to report to Statistics Denmark, cf. Lov om Danmarks Statistik and Bekendtgørelse om dataindberetninger på socialområdet (see the section "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.

Comment

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