Recovery from drug addiction requires continuous care, support: Experts

Only 13 per cent of people who use drugs in Bangladesh have access to treatment or rehabilitation services, while around 8.2 million people use some form of drugs, speakers said at a press briefing in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) and the Bangladesh Chapter of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) jointly organised the briefing at DAM’s Health and Nutrition Sector office in Shyamoli to mark Recovery Day 2026.

September is observed globally as Recovery Month. This year’s theme is “Recovery Is Real: Restoring Every Aspect of Life.”

Presenting the keynote, Iqbal Masud, director of DAM’s Health and Nutrition Sector and general secretary of the Bangladesh Chapter of ISSUP, said a recent national study found that around 8.2 million people in Bangladesh use drugs, equivalent to about 4.88 per cent of the total population.

According to the study, 33 per cent of users started using drugs between the ages of 8 and 17, while 59 per cent began between 18 and 25. Nearly 90 per cent said drugs were easily accessible to them.

The study found that 69 per cent wanted treatment or rehabilitation services and 62 per cent wanted counselling, but only 13 per cent had access to treatment or rehabilitation services.

Professor Dr MA Mohit Kamal, psychiatrist and chairman of the Bangladesh Chapter of ISSUP, said recovery from drug dependence requires more than medical treatment.

Family support, aftercare, peer support, relapse prevention and access to education, employment and social opportunities are also essential for sustainable recovery, he said.

He said unemployment, family conflicts, returning to the same environment and social stigma can increase the risk of relapse after treatment.

People with drug dependence should not be labelled as “addicts” or subjected to derogatory terms, he added, stressing the need to treat substance dependence as a health condition.

The speakers said the findings highlight the shortage of treatment and rehabilitation services and called for a stronger continuum of care covering prevention, early intervention, treatment, rehabilitation, aftercare, relapse prevention and community support.

They also called for a public health-oriented drug policy that considers decriminalisation of drug use and dependence to reduce stigma and encourage people to seek treatment and counselling.

They stressed that decriminalisation should be accompanied by accessible, evidence-based treatment, rehabilitation, harm reduction and recovery support, while maintaining measures against drug trafficking and other drug-related crimes.

The speakers urged policymakers to integrate addiction treatment and counselling into the government healthcare system at the district level, strengthen quality standards for rehabilitation centres, increase the number of trained professionals and ensure specialised services for women and adolescents.

They also stressed the need to protect the dignity, rights and social inclusion of people affected by substance use.

The briefing was moderated by Rakhee Ganguly, senior psychologist at DAM.

Other speakers included Jamiaul Ahsan Shipu, senior reporter of The Daily Ittefaq; Md Shamim Khan, director of Ashroy; Lutfur Rahman Manik, director of Safe Home Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre; and Md Shahabuddin Chowdhury Sumon, director of Utsho Drug Addiction Treatment Centre.