[The Institute for Alcoholism and Other Drug Addictions at the Sarajevo Canton from its founding until today]

Health protection, and especially mental health protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina have very long tradition. A first record found on treatments of mental patients originates from 13th century. Use of alcohol is old as man kind, and in the culture of nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina is present tradition of "Common" drinking, which means that drinking is a part of everyday life, more in the rural than in urban environments. Debut of organize treatment of alcohol addictors in our country is situated in the early sixties. Since that, and until the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, Institute for alcoholism and substance abuse, has passed trough different developmental phases in organizational, as well in professional sense, with the trend of continuous performance improvement. This institution was unique in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and part of system consisted of organized psychiatric services. During one year average number of services was around 5,000 and 1,500 persons went trough complex social and psychiatric treatment with rehabilitation.