CHARACTERISTICS OF A NON-TREATMENT SAMPLE OF HEAVY COCAINE USERS VOLUNTEERING FOR STUDIES INVOLVING COCAINE ADMINISTRATION IN BALTIMORE (USA)

Demographic data and drug-use histories were collected from 191 non-tr eatment seeking applicants, obtained via chain referral, to research p rojects involving cocaine administration. The typical applicant was an unemployed, single, African-American male, 34 years of age with 11 ye ars of education and a history of incarceration. Applicants reported u sing i.v. and smoked cocaine alone, and in combination with heroin (72 %), marijuana (47%), alcohol (58%) and tobacco cigarettes (86%). Most applicants (79%) preferred i.v. cocaine, with 15% preferring smoked co caine. Applicants reported spending $327/wk on cocaine and $184/wk on heroin. Seventy-seven percent of applicants reported having been arres ted, with those who went to jail reporting an average jail-time of 29 months. Eighty-five percent of applicants were unemployed and 32% gave no address. Although most applicants (75%) received medical care, mos tly in emergency rooms, in the past year, the majority (75%) had never received any treatment for their drug abuse. Analyzing data of applic ants to a drug-abuse research program provides an under-utilized metho dology for obtaining information from the difficult to contact populat ion of non-treatment seeking, homeless drug abusers.