Factors Related to Cure of Opiate Addiction among Puerto Rican Addicts

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Abstract
The cure status of 108 Puerto Rican males who had been treated at the Public Health Service Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky for drug addiction was determined by interviews, records, and urinalysis. An addict was considered cured if evidence from these sources indicated that he had been drug free for three years prior to interview. Based on these criteria 20% of the 108 subjects were judged to be cured, while 80% were found to be relapsed (noncured). Social and background characteristics were found to differentiate the cured from the relapsed patients. Prior to treatment the cured group not only had fewer arrests, but fewer of these arrests were for narcotic violations, including sale of drugs. The cured subjects were also less likely to have been heroin addicts and they tended to begin drug use at a later age. Of the treatment-related variables, cure was correlated with length of hospital stay and with a single admission. For the prisoners, a shorter length of time between onset of drug use and treatment distinguished between cured and noncured subjects. At the time of field follow-up, the cured subjects were more likely to be living with their spouses and employed. Indeed, of those cured, almost half were steadily employed and 90% were arrest free during the last three years. While further follow-up field studies are needed in order to ascertain the precise relationship between social background factors, various treatment modalities, and particular outcome criteria, this study has identified social, drug-use, and treatment factors which are associated with cure among Puerto Rican addicts.