Under the counter: the diffusion of narcotic analgesics to the inner city street.
During the past decade, there has been a well-documented rise in the non-medical use of prescription painkillers, often referred to as narcotics analgesics (NA). Relatively little is known, however, about who these users are, the range of health and social consequences associated with their use and the presence of illicit NA use on the inner city street. Results of a survey conducted with a sample of 242 street drug users indicated that NA use is now widespread in the inner city, and that it is associated with a number of serious health and psychiatric conditions. Other characteristics of this emerging drug user group are explored and the need for future research is highlighted.
Vivian
James
J
Hispanic Health Council, Hartford, CT 06106, USA. jimv@hispanichealth.com
Saleheen
Hassan
H
Singer
Merrill
M
Navarro
Juhem
J
Mirhej
Greg
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002423:Cause of Death; D003237:Connecticut; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001741:Black or African American
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D013287:Illicit Drugs