Changing Trends in Drug Use: an initial follow‐up of a local heroin using community

Summary A cohort of 101 heroin users and suppliers involved in a local community network were monitored over an 18 month period by staff at two community drug treatment agencies. The relative impact of police action and therapeutic intervention on this network is detailed and discussed. Few (7%) were still known to be using exclusively heroin after this time with many moving their dependency to other drugs, including alcohol, alone or in combination. Analysis of events suggests that the disruption of the social centre which had come to be associated with the use and supply of drugs has had a major effect on the dissolution of the heroin network equal in importance to the apprehension of larger dealers or the expansion of treatment services.