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Heroin users seeking methadone treatment
Author(s) -
Bell James,
Fernandes Dina,
Batey Robert
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1990.tb125185.x
Subject(s) - methadone , heroin , harm reduction , disadvantaged , medicine , drug user , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , population , illicit drug , rehabilitation , psychiatry , drug , demography , virology , environmental health , physical therapy , sociology , political science , law
Seven hundred and sixty‐seven patients applying to enter public methadone programmes in the western suburbs of Sydney underwent assessment in the Drug and Alcohol Unit at Westmead Hospital between 1986 and 1988. These patients had long histories of illicit drug use and most were involved in crime, prostitution and a drug subculture. Many abused multiple drugs, and almost all had been exposed to hepatitis B virus. However, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity rate was low. Methadone programmes, at least in Sydney's western suburbs, attract a very disadvantaged population for whom rehabilitation is likely to be a difficult, long‐term process.