Characteristics of admissions to residential drug treatment agencies in New South Wales, 1988-92 .1. Illicit drug problems

The Clients at Residential Agencies (CARA) database of the New South Wales Drug and Alcohol Directorate was analysed for trends in admissions of clients with illicit drug problems over the years 1988-92. The mean age of admissions rose from 26.8 years to 27.9 years over the study period. There was a small increase in the proportion of male admissions to agencies (66.5% in 1988 to 69.9% in 1992). The proportion of admissions reporting opiates as their primary drug problem declined from 81% to 65%, while the proportion of admissions for stimulant problems doubled in that period (8% to 16%), as did those for cannabis (3.6% to 8.7%). There was a significant increase in the proportions of admissions who had drug problems of 10 or more years' standing (34.9-41.3%). The proportion of admissions that had never been in treatment decreased from 51% to 15% over the study period. Admissions with prior methadone experience rose from 37% to 69% between 1988 and 1992.