ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600185941

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractHarm reduction principles have not been applied to social policy programs that affect drug users. This paper considers whether income supports for the drug‐dependent poor might be harm reducing, given that a principal harm related to drug dependence is crime committed to finance drug use. We examine the political fate of the principal income support program in the United States that targeted the drug dependent. Revelations that the money was being used in part for the purchase of drugs has led to a scaling back and tightening of the program. We suggest that the program might have been more effectively defended if attention had been paid to community harms rather than only to drug consumption by recipients. European and Australian governments provide income support which is no doubt also used for drug consumption, but in the context of universalist income support programs they do not require a harm reduction defense. We conclude that great potential for reducing drug‐related harm may fall well outside the domain of targeted drug policy, whether of the supply reduction, demand reduction or harm reduction vari

ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600185951

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThis paper argues, primarily by example, that mathematical modeling can contribute to harm reduction‐orientated drug policy making in three ways: by contributing to quantitative evaluations of effectiveness, by improving data and understanding of the underlying drug‐related phenomena, and by encouraging precise thinking about the goals and objectives of harm reduct

ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600185961

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractA sample of 210 heroin users who had used benzodiazepines during the preceding 6 months were interviewed about their benzodiazepine use. Forty‐one percent of the sample reported having used benzodiazepines more than once a week during the 6 months preceding interview. Forty‐eight percent had injected benzodiazepines, with 17% having done so during the preceding 6 months. Eleven percent of the sample reported having experienced convulsions when attempting detoxification from benzodiazepines. The majority of subjects (86%) indicated that benzodiazepines are easy or very easy to obtain. Only a third of the sample reported obtaining benzodiazepines exclusively through a doctor in the last 6 months. Over a half of the sample indicated that they had given or sold benzodiazepines to someone during that time. Diazepam was considered by subjects to be the easiest benzodiazepine to procure. Doctors should avoid the prescription of benzodiazepines to injecting drug users, particularly the more readily injectable drug temazepam. Given the widespread use of benzodiazepines by injection, research needs to examine the harm associated with the parenteral use of these dr

ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600185971

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractTo obtain more information about anecdotal reports of injection of methadone syrup and benzodiazepine drugs among injecting drug users, interviews were conducted with 32 subjects as part of a larger study into drug use patterns of clients in methadone maintenance treatment. Subjects were asked about frequency of injection of methadone and benzodiazepines, reasons for injection and methods of preparation for injection. The study found that 78% had injected methadone and 25% had injected benzodiazepines at some time during their drug using careers. Service providers can play an important role in promoting harm minimization strategies, and utilizing behaviour modification techniques.

ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600185981

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractA minority of injecting drug users engage in high risk injecting behaviours when in prison. In the United Kingdom between a quarter and a third of injectors who enter prison inject when in prison, and of these about three‐quarters share needles and syringes. In the present study, 44 drug injectors who had been released from prison for no longer than 6 months were recruited and interviewed in three geographical areas in England. Interviewees were asked to recount their experiences of drug use during their most recent period of imprisonment. The majority of interviewees were male (38/44), had a mean age of 28 years, with a mean age of 16 years at first drug use, were primarily opiate users (39) and had multiple imprisonments. All respondents reported drug use when imprisoned and drug injecting was reported by 16 interviewees. Most injected at irregular intervals and at a reduced level, compared with injecting when in the community. Nine reported using needles and syringes that others had previously used. When considering other injecting equipment, more sharing occurred than was actually reported. Much re‐use of equipment was viewed simply as“using old works”. The sharing of“cookers” and“filters”, and drug sharing by“backloading” and“frontloading” were common. The concept of“sharing” tended to be understood by respondents as related to the use oftoolsof injection (needles and syringes rather than other equipment); the use of tools in theactof injection (rather than for mixing drugs);proximity(multiple use of needles and syringes in the presence of others);temporality(shorter time elapse between consecutive use of needles and syringes previously used by another) andsource(hired rather than borrowed or bought). We conclude that syringe sharing is an integral part of drug use and drug injecting in prison. Many of those interviewed displayed a restricted understanding of what denotes syringe sharing. Our data reinforce the need for interventions and initiatives to be developed within prisons to deal with the considerable risk posed by c

ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600185991

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractTo validate the Opiate Treatment Index (OTI) for use in the United Kingdom, 72 subjects attending two methadone clinics in London completed confidential interviews with two researchers at two points in time, 1–2 weeks apart. About half the interviews were conducted by the same interviewer on both occasions, and the remaining by different interviewers. These research designs enabled an estimation of the test‐retest and inter‐rater reliability of the instrument. Subjects' responses were validated against key worker reports and self‐reported drug use against urinalysis results. The majority of the respondents were males (65%) and their mean age was 34.2 years (range 21–52; SD 8.5). Test‐retest reliability coefficients were high for all the scales (range 0.77‐0.86) in both the same and different interviewer situations. The internal reliability of the scales was generally high (Cronbach's α: range 0.34‐0.93). The correlation with key workers' reports was high with the percentage agreement on the items ranging 74–100 (mean 87). The percentage agreement of self‐reported drug use with urinalysis results was high (range 69–95; mean 89). These findings are similar to those obtained among Australian subjects and suggest a high cross‐cultural validity for the OTI. Minor changes to the OTI have been incorporated into a modified v

ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600186001

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractA sample of 183 current methadone maintenance patients were interviewed on their drug use history, criminal history, current drug use, and symptoms of Anti‐social Personality Disorder (ASPD). Thirty‐nine percent of patients met the DSM‐III‐R criteria for a diagnosis of ASPD. ASPD patients had an earlier onset of drug use, drug injecting, heroin use, had wider polydrug using histories and had been arrested earlier and more frequently than other patients. Despite the different pretreatment histories of ASPD and other patients, there were no differences between the two groups in retention in treatment, methadone dosage or heroin use. It is concluded that heroin‐dependent ASPD patients can be successfully retained in methadone treatment, on similar methadone doses and with similar in‐treatment drug use patterns as those of non‐ASPD heroin depen

ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600186011

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractWe measured quadriceps strength and thickness in 101 male alcoholic patients and in 58 controls in order to investigate the force‐size relationships of skeletal muscle in an alcoholic population. The relationship of these parameters with the duration of alcoholism, nutritional status and biochemical and haematological markers of heavy chronic alcohol use was investigated. Alcohol consumption of more than 42 standard drinks (420 g alcohol) per week for at least 5 years is associated with muscle weakness and wasting. There was no evidence of under‐nutrition in these alcoholic subjects and muscle wasting occurred independently of peripheral neuropathy, a history of muscle pain, abnormalities of liver enzymes and elevation of mean red cell corpuscular volume. Quantitation of muscle size and strength in heavy drinkers may provide a useful early indicator of health impairment in alcohol

ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600186021

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractHepatitis B remains a major public health problem around the world. The discovery of the hepatitis C virus has diverted interest from hepatitis B to this new virus and the epidemic associated with it, but hepatitis B remains a significant pathogen for millions of people worldwide. The World Health Organization has suggested that universal vaccination of children against hepatitis B should be implemented in an attempt to reduce the enormous morbidity and mortality associated with infection of this virus group. The review seeks to identify all the newer discoveries relating to hepatitis B that have been made in the past decade. Reference is made to the appearance of hepatitis B mutants which are able to infect patients previously infected with the wild strain of the virus. The implications of mutants on vaccination programmes is raised, as are issues relating to treatment of hepatitis B infection.

ISSN:0959-5236    

DOI:10.1080/09595239600186031

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1996

数据来源: WILEY