Characteristics of benzodiazepine abuse in methadone maintenance treatmentpatients: a 1 year prospective study in an Israeli clinic

We aimed to study the prevalence patterns and course of benzodiazepine (BZD ) abuse in an Israeli methadone maintenance (MMT) clinic using repeated ran dom observed urine analysis as well as self-report data. Lifetime and curre nt prevalence of BZD abuse were found in 66.3 and 50.8% patients, respectiv ely. It was found that 44.6% of patients who abused BZDs during their first month of treatment ceased to do so after 1 year, while 27.4% who had not a bused BZDs at the beginning of MMT did so after I year in treatment. Flunit razepam was the most commonly abused BZD (92.9%), followed by diazepam (54. 3%) and oxazepam (38.6%). Most of the patients swallowed BZDs (92.8%), 42.9 % also smoked or snorted them while 8.6% injected BZDs intravenously. BZDs were used as self-medication for alleviating emotional problems rather than for recreational or other reasons. We conclude that BZD abuse is a signifi cant clinical problem in heroin addicts both before entering and during MMT . MMT may have a positive as well as a negative influence on BZD abuse with the former being more prevalent. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. Al l rights reserved.