Drug abuse in Pakistan - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

INTERVIEWS WITH DRUG ABUSERS
Table 15.
Sample demographics and first treatment contact
Treatment Street Prison All
Mean age 33 33 31 32
Treatment contact
Percentage last year — 18 19 19
Percentage ever — 52 37 44
Mean age first treatment 26 25 26 26
First treatment
Percentage under 20 years old 18 21 15 18
Percentage 20-29 years old 56 55 55 55
Percentage 30-39 years old 21 20 23 21
Percentage 40 years old and above 6 4 7 6
treatment and prison sample and 25 years of age for
the street sample. Summary data on sample demographics
and age of first treatment episode can be
found <strong>in</strong> table 15.
The mean age from first use of hero<strong>in</strong> to first treatment
admission was calculated at 4.6 years. This is
typical of many studies of hero<strong>in</strong> users conducted
<strong>in</strong>ternationally, that generally f<strong>in</strong>d a lag of between
three and six years after <strong>in</strong>itiation of use before seek<strong>in</strong>g
assistance. However, there is considerable
<strong>in</strong>dividual variation on this measure with some <strong>in</strong>dividuals
rapidly develop<strong>in</strong>g problems that had led
them to seek help and support. Others wait for considerable
periods of time before they decide, or are
able, to seek help.
Need for treatment
Respondents were asked whether it was difficult to
get <strong>in</strong>to treatment <strong>in</strong> their area. Most (64%) replied
that this was the case, with 53% of treatment attendees,
62% of the street sample, and 80% of the
prison sample report<strong>in</strong>g it was difficult for drug
<strong>abuse</strong>rs to enter treatment <strong>in</strong> their area.
All respondents were asked whether they had everwanted
help for a drug problem but that they had
been unable to receive it. Overall, 66% of those <strong>in</strong>terviewed
reported that this had been the case. Perhaps
not surpris<strong>in</strong>gly, those currently <strong>in</strong> treatment were
significantly less likely to report a previous failure to
access help than those <strong>in</strong> the street or prison
samples. In the treatment group, 48% of respondents
reported an experience of not be<strong>in</strong>g able to access
treatment as compared to 85% and 73%, respect
ively, <strong>in</strong> the street and prison groups. The reasons
for fail<strong>in</strong>g to access treatment were explored <strong>in</strong> a
follow-up question. The overwhelm<strong>in</strong>g majority
response (80% of all respondents, 70% of treatment
group, 84% of the street sample and 85% of the
prison sample) was that they could not afford the
f<strong>in</strong>ancial cost of enter<strong>in</strong>g treatment. Other reasons
reported were a lack of available places (23%), a lack
of <strong>in</strong>patient facilities <strong>in</strong> government hospitals, a dislike
of the treatment regime on offer (7%), a dislike
of the treatment agency (7%), and a dislike of treatment
staff (5%).
Street and prison recruited respondents were also
asked to rate their own current need for treatment.
Eighty-one per cent of those <strong>in</strong>terviewed on the
streets and 72% of those <strong>in</strong>terviewed <strong>in</strong> prison
reported that they currently needed treatment for
their drug problem. The f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g that drug <strong>abuse</strong>rs
who are not current <strong>in</strong> contact with treatment services
recognize their need for them is not a universal
one. Studies that <strong>in</strong>terview drug users <strong>in</strong> community
sett<strong>in</strong>gs often f<strong>in</strong>d that there is a reluctance
among drug us<strong>in</strong>g respondents to recognize themselves
that they have a need for treatment, even
where considerable evidence exists to suggest that
this is the case. Considerable efforts have been
<strong>in</strong>vested <strong>in</strong> many countries <strong>in</strong> attract<strong>in</strong>g drug <strong>abuse</strong>rs
and particularly hero<strong>in</strong> <strong>abuse</strong>rs <strong>in</strong>to services.
It is therefore encourag<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>in</strong> this study most
subjects recognized that they had a need for help.
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