About 10% of Icelandic males older than 15 years of age have at one time
or another checked into the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center
Vogur. By contrast, only 4% of Icelandic women in the same age group can
say the same.
According to a report released by the National Center of Addiction
Medicine (SÁÁ), since Vogur was opened in 1984, 60,524 Icelanders have
checked in there. In 2009 alone, 14,676 men and 5,903 women were
admitted.
Þórarinn Tyrfingsson, the head doctor at Vogur, told Vísir that the
number of people seeking outpatient treatment has increased in the past
few years. Whether or not this is in proportion to the increase in
population is not specified.
Vogur recommends that those who check out of the facility continue
out-patient therapy. As it is, about 35% of those who leave Vogur never
seek out-patient therapy. SÁÁ believes that about 66% of those who leave
Vogur will return.
Also keep in mind that these figures are for Vogur alone – there are
other rehabs in Iceland, but 10% of Icelandic males have been to this
particular one.