DRUG-USER TREATMENT PROGRAMS IN A LARGE METROPOLITAN-AREA

This paper discusses the results of a comprehensive survey of one of t he largest drug-user treatment systems in the United States-the system in Los Angeles County, California, which contains more than 300 progr ams, covers over 4,000 square miles, and serves clients from a notably heterogeneous population of almost nine million people. The survey re ported on here was distinct from similar surveys in that it provided s imultaneously comprehensive and in-depth descriptions of formal treatm ent programs in a defined local area. The authors believe that this su rvey is the first local drug-user treatment program survey of its scop e and magnitude in the United States.