Prevalence of Opiate Use Among Young Men in Italy, 1980 and 1982

• NCJ Number: 119691
• Journal: Bulletin on Narcotics Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Dated: special issue (July-September 1983) Pages: 63-71
• Author(s): U Avico; F Pocchiari; P Zuccaro; L Donato; F Mariani
• Date Published: 1983
• Length: 8 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: General Management of Social Medicine
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Austria
• Note: Special issue on Measures to prevent and reduce drug abuse.

Annotation

An epidemiological study on opiate use among young men undergoing examination for army draft was carried out in 1980 and 1982.

Abstract

Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Rome and Turin were the cities selected for the study. For each of the 15,266 respondents in 1980 and 15,874 respondents in 1982, a urine sample was tested for the presence of opiates. In addition, a questionnaire on demographic and socio-economic variables was completed. The study revealed 247 opiate cases in 1980, and 339 opiate cases in 1982. The number of opiate cases, demographic and socio-economic characteristics of respondents varied greatly from province to province. Unemployed respondents had a higher rate of opiate presence than any other occupational group. A methodology was used to estimate the number of opiate abuse cases that did not come to the attention of the authorities. Based on the methodology, it was estimated that there were 68,000 opiate users in 1980 and 92,000 in 1982 throughout the country. 5 tables, 3 references. (Author abstract modified)