Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research (SIRUS) interviewed 1,020 drug users in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Sandnes, Trondheim, Tromsø and Kristiansand.
– The interviews provide a snapshot of the illegal so-called heavy drug use in seven Norwegian cities fall of 2013, says Linn Gjersing, a researcher with SIRUS.
She says that this is the most comprehensive survey department has ever made of heavy drug users outside treatment or prison. Now present the results of a new report (see bottom of article).
Different usage from city to city
The interviewed in Oslo and Bergen boasts from the other towns in that a high proportion had injected heroin. 65 percent of respondents in Oslo said they had injected heroin in the past four weeks, while 44 percent said the same in Bergen. In the other cities reported 7 to 23 percent the same.
Trondheim separated by more than half said they had injected morphine.
Stavanger / Sandnes also distinguished. There, 32 per cent answered that they had injected substances other than heroin, amphetamines or morphine last four weeks. These included Subutex, subuxone, methadone and GHB.
Amphetamine most used drug
Nationwide amphetamine type that most of the respondents had injected last four weeks (60 percent), but its use varied from city to city.
– The high proportion of amphetamines may indicate that this is a fabric with good availability in Norway. Seizures Figures from NCIS show that it is significantly more amphetamine seizures than heroin seizures in the various police districts, says Gjersing.
Almost all of the respondents had tried heroin at some time, but only a little less than half of the total sample had injected heroin in the last four weeks. There were several among those under 35 years who had smoked heroin the first time they used the drug, compared with those who were older.
Among the elderly, there were several who had injected the first time they used the drug. One third of respondents had used both amphetamines and heroin in the past four weeks.
Most non-fatal overdoses in Bergen
The proportion who reported having had overdoses lifetime, past year and past month varied from city to city.
Bergen and Trondheim gave 71 percent said they had had one or more non-fatal overdoses ever. In comparison, just over half of Tromsø the same.
Bergen was where most users had had one or more overdoses during the past year, followed by Oslo and Trondheim. In addition, Bergen and Oslo, the highest proportion who had had a non-fatal overdose last four weeks.
Price differences between the cities
Those who were interviewed in Oslo reported having paid 200 kroner for a user dose of heroin (0.2 grams), while users in Stavanger / Sandnes, Trondheim and Tromsø had paid £ 500.
In Oslo and Stavanger / Sandnes gave the users to have paid 100 pounds for a user dose of amphetamine (0.2 grams), while users in Tromsø had paid 200 kroner.
Low crime and prostitution
Gjersing says that there were relatively few reported income from illegal activities. One third reported drug sales as a source of income, while only 11 percent said they raised money through proceeds of crime. Even fewer (two percent) reported prostitution as a source of income.
instead gave a major proportion lawful sources of income. Most respondents reported more than one source of income. It is therefore likely that the legal income was supplemented by illicit sources of income when needed.
Gjersing stresses that the findings of the study can be based on random variation. It may be that, for example heroin is increasingly used in some cities, but this was not readily available at the time the survey was conducted. She points out therefore that this type of research must be repeated to be able to say something about the situation over time.
Reference:
Linn Gjersing & amp; Sandøysundet, Thomas Anton: Drug use at street level in seven Norwegian cities. SIRUS-Report 1/2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment