CHARACTERISTICS OF ADMISSIONS TO RESIDENTIAL DRUG-TREATMENT AGENCIES IN NEW-SOUTH-WALES, 1988-92 .1. ILLICIT DRUG PROBLEMS

The Clients at Residential Agencies (CARA) database of the New South W ales Drug and Alcohol Directorate was analysed for trends in admission s of clients with illicit drug problems over the years 1988-92. The me an age of admissions rose from 26.8 years to 27.9 years over the study period. There was a small increase in the proportion of male admissio ns to agencies (66.5% in 1988 to 69.9% in 1992). The proportion of adm issions reporting opiates as their primary drug problem declined from 81% to 65%, while the proportion of admissions for stimulant problems doubled in that period (8% to 16%), as did those for cannabis (3.6% to 8.7%). There was a significant increase in the proportions of admissi ons who had drug problems of 10 or more years' standing (34.9-41.3%). The proportion of admissions that had never been in treatment decrease d from 51% to 15% over the study period. Admissions with prior methado ne experience rose from 37% to 69% between 1988 and 1999.