The Criminality of Narcotic Addicts

Nurco, David N.; Ball, John C.; Shaffer, John W.; Hanlon, Thomas E.

doi:10.1097/00005053-198502000-00006

Cited by 128 publications

(53 citation statements)

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“…Frequent opioid users typically require considerable sums to finance their drug use habits and do not have sufficient employment income; consequently, many resort to alternative income sources, which usually comprise either some form of social benefit (for example, welfare, disability, or unemployment support payments) or involve an illegal activity-or combinations thereof (70). Crimes committed by illicit opioid users to generate income typically consist of small-scale drug dealing and (or) property offenses and, to a lesser degree, sex-work activities, which are more common among female users (70)(71)(72). An Australian study reported that 72% of illicit opioid users (n = 307) had been convicted of a minor theft offense, 74% had been convicted of drug possession, and 43% had been convicted of a violent offense (73).…”

Section: Socioeconomic Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Illicit Opioid Use and its Key Characteristics: A Select Overview and Evidence from a Canadian Multisite Cohort of Illicit Opioid Users (OPICAN)

2006

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Clinical Implications • Illicit opioid use to a large extent manifests via the illicit use of prescription opioids and typically includes polysubstance use. • Physical and (or) mental health comorbidities are highly prevalent in illicit opioid user populations. • Morbidity and (or) mortality risks are often associated with social marginalization. Limitations • Little is known about the patterns and consequences of illicit opioid use in general populations. • Owing to the marginalized and illegal status of illicit opioid users, information is available only from selective populations with limited potential for generalizability of data. • The OPICAN study specifically builds largely on self-report and may be subject to bias. Objectives: To summarize key characteristics and consequences of illicit opioid use from the literature and to present corresponding data from a multisite sample of illicit opioid users in 5 Canadian cities (OPICAN study). Method: We undertook an overview of recent literature from North America, Australia, and Europe. We obtained data from the multicity OPICAN cohort study, which consisted of an interviewer-administered questionnaire, a standardized mental health instrument (the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form for depression), and saliva-antibody tests for infectious disease (that is, HIV and hepatitis C virus). The baseline sample (n = 679) was collected in 2002. Results: Illicit opioid use in Canada and elsewhere is becoming increasingly heterogeneous in terms of opioid drugs used, with heroin playing an increasingly minor role; further, it predominantly occurs in a context of polydrug use (for example, cocaine-crack or benzodiazepines). Large proportions of illicit opioid users have physical and (or) mental health comorbidities, including infectious disease and (or) depression, and therefore require integrated interventions. Finally, morbidity risks among illicit opioid users are often predicted by social marginalization factors, for example, housing status or involvement in crime. Conclusions: Given the epidemiologic profile and high disease burden associated with contemporary forms of illicit opioid use, more effective treatment approaches are urgently needed in Canada and elsewhere. Specifically, treatment must adjust to the extensive polysubstance use realities, yet it must also more effectively address the complex physical and (or) mental health comorbidities presented by this high-risk population.

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Section: Socioeconomic Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Illicit Opioid Use and its Key Characteristics: A Select Overview and Evidence from a Canadian Multisite Cohort of Illicit Opioid Users (OPICAN)

2006

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“…10,11 The harmful effects of drug use extend well beyond the individual. 12 Treatment must be initiated early. This saves lives, reduces criminal activity, improves social functioning and enhances the quality of life of the individual.…”

Section: -mentioning

confidence: 99%

Problems with Inpatient Drug users in Jeddah

Iqbal

2001

Annals of Saudi Medicine

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Background:To identify problems associated with the treatment of inpatient drug users in Jeddah, and suggest ways of improving the delivery of health care service to these drug users. Subjects and Methods: Three hundred and two subjects with substance dependence who were admitted to the Voluntary Detoxification Unit of Al Amal Hospital, Jeddah, between January and April 1997 (inclusive) were studied. A data gathering form was designed to collect relevant information. Outcome was recorded after discharge or transfer from the unit. Results: Over half the subjects were single, unemployed, without high school education and came to the hospital unaccompanied. About 68.21% used heroin and 21.52% used alcohol. About 87.86% were intravenous drug users (IVDUs) and 54.69% started injecting from the outset. Just under half of the subjects were from outside Jeddah. There were regional variations in the choice of abused drugs. Most inpatients were on their first or second admission. The vast majority of subjects were readmitted within a year of discharge, and 44.70% gave no specific reason for their hospitalization. Unaided abstinence was reported by 42.71% and post-treatment abstinence by 57.52%. On admission, 57.14% expressed no desire to complete the program. About 54.63% were discharged after receiving medical detoxification, and 7.61% went on to have drug rehabilitation. Conclusion:The main finding of the study was that very few drug users were committed to completing the treatment program. There is a need to review the related factors that may be responsible for this situation. Changes have to be made to improve compliance and increase retention of the inpatient program. Contractual and probationary treatment of drug users should be initiated. Current restrictions on admissions have to be eased. There should also be a decentralization and development of local services, as well as a reappraisal of addiction services.

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“…17 Compared to abstinence-based treatment, OAT has been associated with increased retention in addiction treatment and employment, and reductions in incarceration, human immunodeficiency virus transmission, illicit drug use, opioid-overdose events, and mortality. [26][27][28][29][30][31][32] An alternative to OAT is naltrexone, an opioid antagonist. Naltrexone for OUD is administered as a monthly depot injection that prevents the user from experiencing opioid intoxication or dependence, and is associated with sustained abstinence.…”

Section: Medication-assisted Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inpatient Management of Opioid Use Disorder: A Review for Hospitalists

Theisen‐Toupal

Ronan

Moore

et al. 2017

Journal of Hospital Medicine

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The United States is experiencing an epidemic of nonmedical opioid use and opioid overdose-related deaths. As a result, there have been a number of public health interventions aimed at addressing this epidemic. However, these interventions fail to address care of individuals with opioid use disorder during hospitalizations and, therefore, miss a key opportunity for intervention. The role of hospitalists in managing hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder is not established. In this review, we discuss the inpatient management of individuals with opioid use disorder, including the treatment of withdrawal, benefits of medication-assisted treatment, and application of harm-reduction strategies.

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The Criminality of Narcotic Addicts

Cited by 128 publications

References 0 publications

Illicit Opioid Use and its Key Characteristics: A Select Overview and Evidence from a Canadian Multisite Cohort of Illicit Opioid Users (OPICAN)

Illicit Opioid Use and its Key Characteristics: A Select Overview and Evidence from a Canadian Multisite Cohort of Illicit Opioid Users (OPICAN)

Problems with Inpatient Drug users in Jeddah

Inpatient Management of Opioid Use Disorder: A Review for Hospitalists

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