The arrival of HIV has challenged the traditional services for intravenous drug users providing the im petus to re-examine working practices. Only 10% of intravenous drug users attend hospital based treat ment centres offering out-patient programmes based on reducing doses of oral methadone with an ulti mate goal of abstinence (Hartnoll et al, 1985), yet for public health programmes designed to...

BACKGROUND Multiple studies have documented the incidence of illicit drug use and abuse of opioids. Over the years, several hypotheses have been proposed. Short-acting opioids such as hydrocodone are generally considered to predispose patients to poor pain management, dependency, misuse, or abuse; whereas long-acting opioids such as methadone are thought to provide sustained pain management wit...

Thank you for taking the time to read the MEDTOX Drug Abuse Recognition Journal. We hope you find this newsletter interesting and educational. This issue focuses on new drug treatments in treating marijuana dependency, dangerous method of producing methamphetamine, important news regarding legislation against synthetic drugs, and the everpopular name-that-drug article. As always we enjoy hearin...

Intravenous drug users (IVDUs) have an elevated risk of contracting infectious endocarditis. Most of them have good effect from medical treatment, but some will need valve replacement. Until a few years ago, our hospital withheld valve surgery if patients with intravenous drug dependency and infectious endocarditis came to need a second valve replacement. However, there are no consensus guideli...

Illicit drug use during pregnancy is common and probably underestimated in the majority of published studies. The infant exposed to opiates or other drugs of dependency during intrauterine development is at risk for post-natal withdrawal as well as to long-term problems that are associated with drug-effects and often, adverse social circumstances. This article examines the early management of t...

Dr. Philip May presents a highly competent discussion of the major considerations attending morbidity and mortality associated with alcoholism on Indian reservations in the United States. Unfortunately, his article in this publication is mostly applicable to the period prior to 1985. Since 1985, the profile of chemical dependency in Indian country has been dramatically altered. A proliferation ...

Abstract This is the first detailed examination of compulsory detention for ‘drug treatment’ through lens a rapidly evolving international legal framework. It estimated that as many half million people worldwide are detained purpose treatment’, held months or years at time without being charged criminally able to challenge legality their detention. therefore key issue sitting intersection human...