Sammendrag
Substance use is associated with a wide range of health and social problems. This report gives an account of some of the most common harms arising from the use/abuse of alcohol, drugs and tobacco. We have used various indicators - based on registry data and survey-derived data - to describe the prevalence of substance-related problems in Norway. We cannot, however, provide a fully comprehensive picture of the negative consequences related to substance use. To be able to better describe the prevalence of the many different problems arising from substance use, and to study changes in such problems over time, one needs to develop better indicators of the prevalence.
We take a closer look at three forms of social problems (mainly arising from the use of alcohol and drugs): violence; children suffering under parental substance abuse; and workplace problems. What these problems have in common is that they affect others than those who use the substances.
In addition to examining alcohol, drugs and tobacco separately, we ask which of the three substance areas that place the greatest burden on society. The impact on health can be expressed by relatively straightforward figures on mortality and loss of years of good health. These figures suggest that tobacco use leads to a higher burden of disease in high-income countries (like Norway) than alcohol, which again scores higher than drug use. Turning to the social consequences, a much poorer empirical basis makes it difficult to assess the relative impact of the three substances. It appears, however, that alcohol use plays a greater role in violence than drug use. A larger number of children, partners and others close to the users will, given its wider prevalence, also be affected by alcohol abuse than by drug abuse.
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