Empirical Study of the Relationship Between Heroin and Addiction, Crime and Medical Treatment (From Reduction of Drug- Related Harm, P 154-161, 1992, P.A. O'Hare, R. Newcombe, eds. et al., - see NCJ-138254)

• NCJ Number: 138261
• Author(s): C S J Fazey
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: Routledge
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

A sample of 127 patients who had been in continuous drug treatment for 1 year in Liverpool, England, was compared with a group of addicts who had been clinic patients but had dropped out of treatment and later returned. The data were analyzed to determine the impact of treatment on the criminal behavior of the patients.

Abstract

Of the original sample, 25 percent were working at the time of the study and 40 percent had been working or in full-time education at some point during the previous year. While there had been few prescription changes during the year, 6 percent of the sample had gone from linctus to intravenous drugs; other subjects had had their dosages increased or reduced. Treatment seemed to cut down the amount of money spent on illicit drugs, but did not entirely eliminate it. The findings showed that the re-attending group committed more crimes while away from the clinic and had more convictions and cases pending than the addicts who had remained in continuous treatment. The control group also used more illegal drugs and spent more money on them. 1 table and 5 references