Open AccessAlcohol and Opiate Withdrawal in US Jails
Author(s) -
Kevin Fiscella,
Naomi Pless,
Sean Meldrum,
Paul Fiscella
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.94.9.1522
Subject(s) - opiate , medicine , psychiatry , drug , alcohol , environmental health , biochemistry , chemistry , receptor
We sought to estimate the number of arrestees at risk for inadequately treated drug and alcohol withdrawal in US jails. We used Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program data to estimate prevalence rates of alcohol and opiate dependence. Our results revealed rates of alcohol and opiate dependency among arrestees of approximately 12% and 4%, respectively; only 28% of jail administrators reported that their institutions had ever detoxified arrestees. Inadequately treated drug and alcohol withdrawal in US jails appears widespread. Our data raise important ethical and constitutional questions.