Prevalence of problem alcohol use among patients attending primary care for methadone treatment.

Background: Problem alcohol use is associated with adverse health outcomes among current or former heroin users and primary care is providing methadone treatment for increasing numbers of this population. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of problem alcohol use among current or former heroin users attending primary care for methadone treatment and to describe the socio-demographic characteristics and health service utilisation characteristics associated with problem alcohol uses.

Methods: We conducted a cross sectional survey of patients sampled from a national database of patients attending general practice for methadone treatment.

Cocaine use in Europe - a multi-centre study: patterns of use in different groups.

Aim: The study investigates patterns of cocaine powder and crack cocaine use of different groups in nine European cities.

Design, Setting, Participants: Multi-centre cross-sectional study conducted in Barcelona, Budapest, Dublin, Hamburg, London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Zurich. Data were collected by structured face-to-face interviews.

Cocaine use in Europe - a multi-centre study. Methodology and prevalence estimates.

An increase in the use of cocaine and crack in several parts of Europe has raised the question whether this trend is similar to that of the USA in the 1980s. However, research in the field of cocaine use in Europe has been only sporadic. Therefore, a European multi-centre and multi-modal project was designed to study specific aspects of cocaine and crack use in Europe, in order to develop guidelines for public health strategies.