NCJ Number
137698
Date Published
1990
Length
142 pages
Annotation
The Drug Misuse Information Project was funded by the Criminology and Law Research Group of the Scottish Home and Health Department to coordinate baseline information on drug misuse in Scotland.
Abstract
The questionnaire used to survey Scottish drug agencies was designed as a structured interview schedule with an open section at the end where respondents could make their own comments. A draft questionnaire was piloted on five agencies in July 1987. The final questionnaire was sent to 116 agencies with some responsibility for the management of drug abuse problems; 73 interviews were completed successfully. The remaining 43 agencies were social work departments that were excluded because they did not fit the survey's definition of a drug agency. Of the 73 agencies, most were located in the Strathclyde Region of Scotland. Most had been open since 1980 and involved 902 staff. Only 25 percent of the agencies were exclusively for drug users, although over half of all agencies viewed work with drug users as their most important function. Information was the most frequent single service provided; counseling was identified as the most important service. Most agencies saw clients on an ongoing basis, and agency representatives viewed staff facilities as the biggest problem in service provision. From July 1986 through June 1987, 4,422 new clients were identified by the 73 agencies. Just over half the clients were between 20 and 29 years of age, and the male to female ratio was 1.5:1. Opiates were the most frequently used drugs by new clients. All agencies reported that income and personal problems were most prevalent among clients. Nearly 70 percent of the agencies seemed to keep adequate client records, although 12 percent of agencies kept no records at all. A profile of the agencies surveyed and recommendations to improve services for drug users are presented. Appendixes contain the questionnaire, a list of participating agencies, and data on the agency network. 69 references, 43 tables, and 43 figures