There is a marked paucity of published evidence on the extent and nature of substance use disorders in the State of Qatar. This is mirrored by a dearth of information on the policy for the treatment of substance use disorders in the public domain. Between 2007 and 2017, substance use disorders have risen from the third to leading cause of disability in Qatar. More recently, Qatar has shifted from applying a punitive only paradigm in managing substance use problems to recognizing the role of treatment and care for people with substance use disorders. Recently published official documents in Qatar define addiction as a disease and as a chronic condition where people with substance use disorders should be treated as patients who need care and assistance. This shifts the onus of providing, and developing services, for individuals with substance use disorders with healthcare providers rather than purely with the criminal justice system. Following cabinet approval, the recently established Permanent Committee for Addiction Treatment headed by the Minister of Public Health, signals the need to institutionalize systems and structures to upscale demand reduction programmes in the country. This article is a descriptive examination of the shifts in substance abuse treatment policy in Qatar, the major factors influencing this evolution, and will utilise some of the policy science theories to describe and analyse policy outcomes. The article will also frame the substance use problem in Qatar for the first time, based on documents published by various government organisations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.