Colombia Country Profile

Drug policy

Legislation on substance abuse is found in a joint policy for alcohol abuse, drug abuse and mental health.
The state government is the most important financing method for prevention services of SUD.
There is no government unit or budget line responsible for the prevention or treatment of SUD.

Treatment and Recovery Services

Treatment services for SUD are primarily self- funded and is mainly delivered by psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers.
There is pharmacotherapy available for opioid dependency and alcohol withdrawal.
There are specialist inpatient and outpatient services for alcohol and drug detoxification.
Columbia relies on support from NGOs for treatment of SUD.
The National Drug Policy 2023-2033 proposes an expansion of the recovery services offered (residential, day hospital, hospital night, outpatient and mobile, among others), including the implementation of grassroots actions community with differential approaches (ethnic and territorial) and sensitive to gender.

The provision of services must be people-centered, seeking to simplify and adapt the services to specific needs. This allows us to completely transcend the idea of services and one-size-fits-all treatments and enable people to participate in their health care itineraries, treatment, improve the degree of acceptance, relevance and, consequently, satisfaction and people's experience with services.
The policy also seeks to strengthen the ability to detect, diagnose and care for dual pathology, and physical comorbidities and mental health within the framework of comprehensive and integrated quality care.
The National Drug Policy 2023-2033 proposes an expansion of the recovery services offered (residential, day hospital, hospital night, outpatient and mobile, among others), including the implementation of grassroots actions community with differential approaches (ethnic and territorial) and sensitive to gender.
The provision of services must be people-centered, seeking to simplify and adapt the services to specific needs. This allows us to completely transcend the idea of services and one-size-fits-all treatments and enable people to participate in their health care itineraries, treatment, improve the degree of acceptance, relevance and, consequently, satisfaction and people's experience with services.
The policy also seeks to strengthen the ability to detect, diagnose and care for dual pathology, and physical comorbidities and mental health within the framework of comprehensive and integrated quality care.

Prevention Services

Columbia has introduced both school and community based programmes that educate the population about the negative impact of alcohol and drugs.
Regular mass media programmes educating about SUD.
Aerial and manual spraying of coca plantations with herbicides.
With regards to harm reduction, in September 2012 the government of Bogota launched a programme called CAMAD. These are mobile drug centres located in marginalised inner city neighbourhoods where medical and social workers provide care to drug addicts.