The First 100 Referrals to a Scottish Drug Addiction Treatment Centre *

Summary This is a report on the first 3 years' experience at the Drug Addiction Treatment Centre which was established at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in April, 1968, The statutory requirements, and the hospital polity for dealing with persons addicted to dangerous drugs are outlined, followed by a demographic and social analysis of the 100 probands including childhood circumstances, work record, delinquent background, and known record of non‐drug offences. Drug taking habits are surveyed, together with medical and pyschiatric complications reported. The reasons given for coming to hospital, and the attitudes of these drug‐takers are presented in detail, showing the problems of management to which they give rise. Local difficulties impeding social rehabilitation are also discussed. It is questioned whether hospital addiction centres, as at present organised, can be effective in the treatment of young unmotivated drug misusers.