Drug use and barriers to use of health care services

This paper examines barriers to health care utilization and the correlates associated with these barriers. As part of a larger study of health service s utilization, the study sample of 1085 including injection drug users, oth er chronic users of heroin or cocaine, and a demographically similar group who had used neither heroin nor cocaine, was selected based on the criterio n of not having received health care for at least one health problem within the previous 12 months. Both categories of chronic drug users were more li kely than non-users not to want health care treatment and to put off seekin g needed health care.