OPIUM AND HEROIN ADDICTS IN LAOS I. A COMPARATIVE STUDY

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Abstract
All subjects were volunteer narcotic addicts seeking treatment at an inpatient detoxification facility in Laos over a 12-mo. period. The research format consisted of 5 demographic characteristics, 4 aspects of past narcotic usage, and 3 aspects of current narcotic usage. Heroin addicts (51) were compared to 438 opium addicts. Many of the demographic differences in the 2 groups reflected the urban residence of most heroin addicts and the mixed urban-rural residence of opium addicts. Heroin addicts had more frequent daily doses of drug, spent considerably more money for their drug, and required higher initial methadone doses for detoxification. Heroin addicts might have deteriorated faster and thus sought treatment earlier than opium addicts. Since the heroin and opium addicts in this study differed significantly on most demographic characteristics, it was difficult to know whether these observed differences were due to drug factors or demographic factors. A study of pairs matched for age, sex and ethnicity was subsequently undertaken to test the hypotheses generated by this study.

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