The European Union action plan on drugs (2000–2004), under strategy target 3 ‘to increase substantially the number of successfully treated addicts’, addresses the issue of guidelines and standards in treatment and social reintegration. It states ‘Member States (are) to define clear guidelines for standards and goals of treatment services’ as well as ‘Member States (are) to ensure that adequate ...

oral health problems, among the most prevalent comorbidities related to addiction, require more attention by both clinicians and policy-makers. our aims were to review oral complications associated with drugs, oral health care in addiction rehabilitation, health services available, and barriers against oral health promotion among addicts. drug abuse is associated with serious oral health proble...

The present study reports the prevalence of HIV infection among the drug addicts undergoing counselling and treatment in a drug deaddiction centre located in Bhubaneswar, during July 1996 to August 1997. All subjects were males. The coded serum samples were tested by ELISA and rapid spot test for the detection of HIV antibodies. The positive samples were finally confirmed by the line immunoassa...

An assessment of the nature and extent of drug abuse, based on the synthesis of different available indicators, shows that since 1979 there has been an alarming increase in drug abuse among young people in Ireland. Surveys of schoolchildren and young people indicate a sixfold increase in drug experimentation. The number of heroin addicts and other opiate addicts seeking treatment increased 5-6 ...

Based on prior research showing that people underestimate the influence of motivational states they are not currently experiencing, we predicted and found that heroin addicts would value an extra dose of the heroin substitute Buprenorphine more highly when they were currently craving (right before receiving BUP) than when they were currently satiated (right after receiving BUP) -- even when the...

The law regulates addiction in two primary ways: by limiting access to controlled substances and by criminal and civil law doctrines pertaining to addicts. This chapter first addresses the basic definitional and conceptual issues concerning addiction. Then it turns to the justification of substance regulation in the USA and public policy issues. It suggests that the right to use substances recr...

BACKGROUND Mental symptoms are common in heroin addiction and may arise from issues of addiction and withdrawal, raising doubts about the patients truly having co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses. METHODS We studied the mental status of 1090 heroin addicts (831 males and 259 females aged between 16 and 51 years) at the beginning of treatment, and its relationship to relevant demographic and clini...