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Overdose among heroin users in Sydney, Australia: I. Prevalence and correlates of non‐fatal overdose
Author(s) -
DARKE SHANE,
ROSS JOANNE,
HALL WAYNE
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1996.9134059.x
Subject(s) - heroin , medicine , logistic regression , drug overdose , psychiatry , heroin dependence , opioid overdose , demography , poison control , medical emergency , drug , opioid , (+) naloxone , receptor , sociology
A sample of 329 heroin users were interviewed regarding their personal experience of non‐fatal heroin overdose. Experience of overdose was widespread, with two‐thirds of subjects (68%) reporting having overdosed. The median number of life‐time overdoses was three, with males and females equally likely to have overdosed. The majority (62%) of most recent heroin overdoses occurred in conjunction with the consumption of other central nervous system depressants (alcohol, benzodiazepines and other opioids). Logistic regression analyses indicated three independent factors associated with having overdosed: longer heroin using careers, greater heroin dependence and higher levels of alcohol consumption. Implications for the reduction in the prevalence and frequency of overdose are discussed.