COMMUNITY-BASED HEROIN-ADDICTS WHO TURN TO EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT RATHER THAN CONVENTIONAL CARE

In this paper we report on a community based sample of heroin addicts not in addiction treatment who responded to the offer of experimental treatment (buprenorphine) for heroin addiction. Comparison to a sample of methadone maintenance clients from the same geographic area reveal s that on average the community sample began heroin use later, attaine d a higher level of education, and were more likely to have had a sign ificant cohabitation relationship. The methadone maintenance sample, o n the other hand, reported significantly greater regular use of drugs of abuse other than heroin. Each group may represent a different subgr oup drawn from the heterogeneous heroin-addicted population. Implicati ons for improved recruitment into treatment and enhanced treatment des ign ate drawn from these findings.