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SUMMARY A second year's follow‐up of a cohort of 36 opiate users and 27 subsequent cases in one town was conducted by individual interview, observation, and record abstraction. At some time during 1969 all but five of those at liberty consumed some opiate drug, and four of those five took an illicit non‐opiate drug. Compared with the previous year there was a reduction in the taking of heroin, cocaine and methylamphetamine and an increased consumption of methadone, barbiturates and oral amphetamine. Seven persons were daily users of opiates for at least part of the year, and 13 were irregular opiate users, without receiving a legitimate prescription. Abstinence was not significantly related to any obvious social or demographic variable including age, or duration of drug use. Nevertheless, it appeared that unless patients had a satisfactory social situation open to them, continued abstinence could not be achieved following withdrawal. Drug taking in this locality is consistent with national experience.
Hitchins et al. (Wed,) studied this question.