Topics
1. National context
The Cyprus Anti-Drugs Council (CAC) is the supreme national body responsible for the drafting, coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the National Drug Strategy. The Council is also responsible for the coordination of governmental as well as non-governmental drug care services. Drug treatment is mainly delivered by non-governmental organisations, which are independent but rely on the allowance of the CAC to operate.
According to the CAC, the treatment system consists of counselling, rehabilitation, detoxification and substitution centres. All counselling, outpatient and inpatient programmes state psychosocial interventions as their primary treatment tool. Counselling centres mainly focus on motivational enhancement and support whereas inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programmes focus on individual and group counseling, therapy as well as psychotherapy. Most programmes provide services to drug users regardless of the substance being used. Only two programmes (one inpatient and one outpatient) target problem drug users.
* Detoxification: only two centres reported providing detoxification services; one is a governmental facility (‘Anosi’) and the other is a private clinic (‘Veresies Clinic’), which offers an outpatient and an inpatient programme.
* Substitution: three programmes offer substitution/maintenance services. One of them is the ‘Veresies Clinic’ and the other two are governmental programmes. (‘Gefyra’ and ‘Sosivio’), which offer services in Nicosia and Limassol, either on an outpatient or inpatient basis.
In 2009, there were 10 counselling centres, two of them targeting adolescents and young adults, 16 outpatient programmes, and a drug rehabilitation programme in the central prison. Although current additions to the treatment system have enriched it considerably, the lack of specialised (for drugs other than heroin) treatment services is observed.
In 2009, substitution treatment (HDBT) was offered to 286 clients in Cyprus.
2. Treatment registries and monitoring systems
There is one general monitoring system for treatment, based on the Treatment Demand Indicator (TDI) and operated by the Cyprus National Focal Point, but there are no separate monitoring systems for medically-assisted or drug-free treatment.
3. Treatment demand
| Clients in treatment | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of all clients entering treatment | 726 | 595 | 670 |
| % of which for opioid use | 55.0 | 55.2 | 57.4 |
| % of which for cocaine use | 13.2 | 14.2 | 14.4 |
| % of which for cannabis use | 29.5 | 29.1 | 25.1 |
| % of which for stimulants use (other than cocaine) | 1.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 |
| Number of new clients entering treatment | 371 | 276 | 319 |
| % of which for opioid use | 46.1 | 35.1 | 38.9 |
| % of which for cocaine use | 11.1 | 15.6 | 16.9 |
| % of which for cannabis use | 41.2 | 48.2 | 40.1 |
| % of which for stimulants use (other than cocaine) | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Notes: The variation across time, in particular with regard to the absolute numbers of clients in treatment, should be interpreted with caution as coverage data may have changed over time. For further information on coverage details please refer to the relevant EMCDDA Statistical Bulletin. For an explanation of terms used, see the definitions of terms. Sources: Reitox national reports 2009 and TDI tables (ST34) V. 1.0-2007, questions 13.1.1 and 13.1.2. EMCDDA Statistical Bulletin 2005, 2007 (Tables TDI 4 and 5) and 2011 (Tables TDI 2 and 5). | |||
4. Treatment provision
| Type of treatment | Availability |
|---|---|
| Psychosocial out-patient interventions | Full |
| Psychosocial in-patient interventions | Full |
| Detoxification | Extensive |
| Substitution/maintenance treatment | Extensive |
| Notes: For an explanation of terms used, see the definitions of terms. Based on question 3.1 " Please assess the current availability of the treatment interventions below in relation to the user needs, judging the degree to which treatment capacity matches the demand" of Structured Questionnaire SQ27P1 on 'Treatment programmes'. Rating Scale (level of availability):
Reitox national reports 2008, Structured Questionnaire on 'Treatment programmes'(SQ27P1), submitted in 2008 and 2005, Standard Tables 24 (ST24) on 'Treatment availability' submitted in 2004, 2006 and 2008. | |
| Opioid substitution treatment | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of clients in opioid substitution treatment | 71 | 58 | 286 |
| of which with methadone | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| of which with buprenorphine | 64 | 58 | 286 |
| Notes: For a detailed European overview please see Table HSR-3 in the EMCDDA Statistical Bulletin 2011. ‘N. App.’ stands for ‘Not applicable’. For an explanation of terms used, see the definitions of terms. Sources: Reitox national reports 2009, Structured Questionnaire on 'Treatment programmes'(SQ27P1), submitted in 2008 and 2005, Standard Tables 24 (ST24) on 'Treatment availability' submitted in 2004, 2006 and 2008. | |||
| Applied substances in opioid substitution treatment | Officially introduced in |
|---|---|
| Methadone (MMT) | N.App. |
| Buprenorphine (HDBT) | 2007 |
| Heroin assisted treatment,including as trials | N.App. |
| Slow-release morphine | N.App. |
| Buprenorphine/naloxone combination | 2008 |
| Notes: For a detailed European overview please see Table HSR-1 in the EMCDDA Statistical Bulletin 2011. ‘N. App.’ stands for ‘Not applicable’. ‘N. Av.’ stands for ‘No information available’. For an explanation of terms used, see the definitions of terms. Sources: Reitox national reports 2009, Structured Questionnaire on 'Treatment programmes'(SQ27P1), submitted in 2008 and 2005, Standard Tables 24 (ST24) on 'Treatment availability' submitted in 2004, 2006 and 2008. | |
| Legal framework of opioid substitution treatment | Methadone | Buprenorphine |
|---|---|---|
| Do office-based medical doctors have the right to initiate the prescription of substitution treatment? | N.App. | Yes |
| Do specialised medical doctors have the right to initiate the prescription of substitution treatment? | N.App. | N.App. |
Notes: | ||
Treatment availablity in Europe
The graphic below presents an overview of treatment provision by different types of service (psychosocial outpatient, substitution, psychosocial inpatient and detoxification) in different European countries and can be used for comparative purposes. Click on the thumbnail to view it.
Figure 1: Treatment availability in Europe, 2007
5. References and links
Related EMCDDA resources
- Health and social responses statistics
- Treatment demand statistics
- Annual report on the state of the drugs problem
- National reports for Cyprus
- Country overview for Cyprus
- Drug treatment responses page
- Best practice portal
- Treatment demand key indicator page
For a comprehensive overview on drug treatment systems, availability and utilisation in Europe, please consult the 2008 online report on ‘Quality of treatment services in Europe — drug treatment — situation and exchange of good practice’ published by the Directorate General for Health and Consumers.
Treatment research centres (external links)
Please note that the EMCDDA is not responsible for the content of external sites.
- Cyprus Anti-Drugs Council (EL, EN)
- Kenthea (EL) - Outpatient treatment centre (NGO)
- Veresies (EL) - A private detoxification centre
Treatment inventories
- Cyprus Anti-Drugs Council (EL, EN)
- Mental Health Services (EL, EN) - Governmental treatment centres throughout the country offered by the Mental Health Services of the Ministry of Health.
