NCJ Number
60658
Date Published
1977
Length
52 pages
Annotation
DATA FROM THE 2,178 MALE AND 91 FEMALE DRUG ADDICTS WHO ENTERED THE HONG KONG PRISON DEPARTMENT'S DRUG ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTERS IN 1977 ARE USED TO DEVELOP A PROFILE OF THE DRUG USER AND THE AVAILABILITY AND COST OF DRUGS.
Abstract
THE MEAN AGE OF MALE ADDICTS HAS GONE UP SLIGHTLY SINCE 1976, FROM 32.6 YEARS TO 35.4 YEARS. THE NUMBER UNDER AGE 21 HAS DECREASED FROM 10 PERCENT TO A NEW LOW OF 5.2 PERCENT. AS IN YEARS PAST, ADDICTS ARE LIKELY TO HAVE ONLY A PRIMARY EDUCATION, TO BE UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED, TO BE LIVING WITH ONE OR BOTH PARENTS, AND TO HAVE EXPERIENCED CONSIDERABLE PERSONAL AND FAMILY DISRUPTION. HEROIN AND A HEROIN-BARBITONE COMBINATION REMAIN THE MOST COMMON DRUGS AND THE ADDICTS TRAVEL TO DISTRICTS IN WHICH THESE DRUGS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE. IN NEARLY ALL CASES THE PERSON EXPERIMENTED WITH DRUGS AS PART OF A PEER GROUP, CONTINUED BECAUSE OF ADDICTION. THE FEMALE USERS HAD A MEAN AGE OF 29.6 YEARS, BUT THE MOST REPRESENTED AGE GROUP WAS 21 TO 24 YEARS. FEMALES TENDED TO LIVE AT HOME AND TO SUPPORT THEIR HABIT BY WORKING AS PROSTITUTES OR DANCE HALL HOSTESSES. AS WITH THE MALES, THEY BEGAN EXPERIMENTING IN PEER GROUPS, CONTINUED BECUASE OF ADDICTION, AND TRAVELED OUTSIDE THEIR HOME DISTRICT TO PURCHASE THE DRUGS. THIS STATISTICAL REPORT USES BOTH CHARTS AND TABLES TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS ON DOMESTIC LIFE, THE AMOUNTS SPENT ON DRUGS, THE DISTRICTS IN WHICH THE DRUGS WERE PURCHASED, NUMBER OF TIMES OFF DRUGS, AGE AT FIRST TAKING OF DRUGS, DRUGS USED, MONTHS BEFORE ADDICTION (3 MONTHS IS THE AVERAGE), AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA. NEARLY ALL OF THE PERSONS INTERVIEWED WERE NATIVES OF HONG KONG. (GLR)