CHARACTERISTICS OF COCAINE USERS - THEIR PERCEPTION AND THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS TREATMENT SERVICES

The increase of cocaine use among the general population requieres pro grams of treatment and attention service tailored to the specific need s of the users of this drug. A requirement for planning these services is the obtainment of enough knowledge about quantitative aspects such as sociodemographic characteristics, patterns of use, etc, as well as qualitative information such as the specific needs of the user, his p erceptions and attitudes towards services, among other issues. This pa per presents data on these areas, from cocaine users detected by healt h agencies that report to the Information Reporting System on Drugs (I RSD), as well as information of the perception and attitudes that user s of this drug have toward treatment services. The information was obt ained through two methodologies 1) the Information Reporting System on Drugs of the Mexican Institute of Psychiatry (IRSD) and 2) a Qualitat ive Research Project which followed the Snow Ball procedure among coca ine users with different levels of use. Results of the IRSD from 1986 to this date, in the health agencies of the Mexico City area indicate that besides alcohol and tobacco, cocaine is among the 4 most used dru gs, and its increased use has been the most important for all drugs. T he evaluation of drug use for the first half of 1995 (n = 349) indicat e that 35.8 % are cocaine users, between 20 and 24 years (27.2 %), the ir school level is junior high (48.8 %), and 49.9 % started using it b etween 15 and 19 years of age; 3.4 % report having used it for the fir st time around 11 years of age. Regarding the frequency of use, 52 % u sed it from 1 to 19 days during the previous month of the evaluation a nd use an average of 3 drugs. Results of the qualitative study indicat e that from the 70 users studied, around 75 % perceive that cocaine is a mean to forget their problems; they feel more secure and feel that their interpersonal relations are easier. They indicate that the main risks of cocaine use, are the social disapproval, the deterioration of their economy and their family life. They also indicate that they fea r not being able to control themselves and have the need to use higher doses, as well having paranoiac feelings. Around one quarter of the u sers studied have never attended a private treatment service; most of them agree that this, and the self help groups are important alternati ves to help them. Almost all of them agree that there are not availabl e specialized public treatment services for them and that professional s do not have the adequate skills their good care of them.